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≡ L.A. CITY COUNCIL ≡

Wednesday’s hearing of the L.A. City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games included no votes on contracts or policies, but across more than two hours, ended with this statement of frustration from Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, directed at the LA28 organizing committee:

“A statement that hopefully one they hear, that they can convey to you all: all of these things taken together while they might have particular details attached to them, whether it’s the swimming pool, whether it’s sort-of difficult and sort-of challenging discussions around procurement or whether it’s disclosure of these reports, and frankly, the incoming and outgoing, all of it taken together, paints a very troubling picture, and I think, like members of this committee said, in the absence of information, people will make up their own story.

“And that’s already happening, because a tidbit comes out here, a tidbit comes out there; they spent this, this person has got some contract and they’re making whatever money, and like this needs to be taken seriously and quickly.

“Because the opinion or set of facts in front of us suggests a troubling picture that will alter the relationship between the City or certainly as long as this committee exists and I’m chairing it. It will alter our relationship as partners if at very turn it feels like either the ball is moving or we were supposed to get some information or we didn’t.

“And so I just want to make sure that’s clear to you all and that we all communicate that as well when we have direct communication with them [LA28], which has been very limited, frankly, since we did the ECRMA [Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement], by the way.”

There was no LA28 report during the meeting, but Harris-Dawson was reacting to reports made by City staff and questions raised by fellow committee members, including:

● LA28’s latest annual report, which included financial statements for 2025, did not include a required list of contracts of more than $1 million authorized and in force during the period. However, the names of the contractors and other details were not included; the City staff report explained:

“LA28 indicates that publishing specific contractors and contracting details within the Annual Report is financially detrimental and a risk to its future competitive contracts, partnerships and sponsorship activities. LA28 presented applicable contract information to various City liaisons to ensure compliance with its reporting requirements, and consistent with the process provided during the City’s review of its 2026 Annual Report.”

The report shows that $687.2 million worth of contracts were involved for 2025, compared to just $36.2 million for 2024.

● Council member Curran Price Jr. complained that no renovation work on the 1932 Olympic swimming pool, now the LA84 Foundation-John C. Argue Swim Stadium in Exposition Park, adjacent to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, is underway.

At the 27 August 2025 meeting of the Ad Hoc committee, LA28 requested a change of venue for diving, from the proposed 1932 stadium to the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center in Pasadena. In return, a renovation of the pool was promised by LA28, with Council member Price Jr. stating:

“I’m glad that LA28 has come to the table to ensure that South L.A. is not left behind. They committed investing in the John C. Argue Swim Stadium in Expo Park and delivering a pool that is going to be certified for national and international competition.

“This means that long after the Games, our young people, our athletes and our community are going to have a world-class facility right here in South Los Angeles. This is the kind of legacy that I think we must insist upon, as the host city and as the financial guarantor.”

But Price Jr. said Wednesday that the facility is not being renovated at present, noting “I thought we had a win. All of sudden, it seems to be evaporating.”

● There was a lengthy discussion about a lack of transparency from LA28, with Council member Katy Yaroslavsky noting that her office posed several questions to LA28 during discussions of the Enhanced City Resources Master Agreement (ECRMA) and has received no reply at all.

For example, she wants to know how LA28 is doing on the $330 million in contingency funding (down from $343.5 million in the report on 2024) which is projected along with the $270 million it is funding to shield the City from its first chunk of fiscal responsibility. And she asked if the City can compel, under its existing agreement, more information from LA28. Chief Legislative Analyst Sharon Tso said yes, citing a clause in the 2021 Games Agreement, which reads:

“The OCOG shall provide the City Liaisons with updates on any engagement with local, state or federal authorities that relates materially to the City, including but not limited to proposed legislation, executive or legislative actions, or guidance on the 2028 Games, permanent infrastructure within the City, or potential fiscal impact to the City of OCOG.”

Another significant discussion on LA28 insurance revealed that while the City had envisioned requiring coverage as part of individual venue service agreements, a better idea now is to ask for a global policy from LA28 to cover the entire Games, including event cancellation coverage across the entire event. The City is asking for $650 million in cancellation coverage, the same as obtained by the Tokyo 2020 organizers, who cashed it in part of it when the Games were moved to 2021 due to the pandemic. This discussion is going well.

The first hour was devoted mostly to a report on the entirely successful City “Kick It In The Park” program of viewing parties for the FIFA World Cup, held at 20 different sites, with a total attendance of more than 45,000.

These were free events, paid for by the City, which showed World Cup games on portable screens owned by the City’s Recreation and Parks Department, at as many as three sites per day. Many questions were raised about how this would work for 2028, with at least 15 sites – one per Council District – to be supported, but with many more than that needed.

The main issue beyond the screens was heat mitigation and support services for shade, water, security, sanitation and more. The costs, manageable for the World Cup, will be much higher in 2028 and budget questions must be asked now.

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