Get to Know City Hall

City of Beverly Hills is a small city relatively accessible to stakeholders. But concerning issues like transportation policy, the obstacles to making our city bike-friendly are maddening. Political capture is the culprit: for too long a small circle of influential citizens and business exercised outsized influence over city policy. Read on for more about how City Hall works, or simply consult our handy cheat sheet of city officials to know where to direct your inquiry.

Navigating City Hall

In Beverly Hills the City Council makes the policy. Five councilmembers represent all districts in the city as we have an at-large representation system. City council hires the manager to actually run the city. The city manager manages the department heads who implement their respective aspects of the city’s policies and programs.

The city has about a dozen commissions which are merely advisory to city council with the exception of the Planning Commission and the design review commission which have some decision-making responsibility.

Where mobility issues are concerned the Traffic & Parking Commission is the place to begin. Again it is merely advisory; even on matters as mundane as residential parking permit approvals it must defer to city council for the final say. On significant traffic and parking issues the commission has even less impact. That means there is plenty of make-work for these five commissioners.

Still, if you have a specific mobility-related complaint we suggest that you attend in person in order to introduce yourself to the commissioners during the public comment period that precedes commission business. You will receive a courteous and attentive hearing in your three minutes at the mic. So describe your issue then be prepared to follow up with staff if a commissioner suggests it is something that requires action or perhaps a place on an upcoming agenda.

Follow-up is key to wringing any action out of Beverly Hills city government. Without persistence nothing will happen. So reach out again to the commissioner who spoke in support of your issue then follow up with transportation management.

More serious issues can be taken directly to city council which meets twice monthly. There is an afternoon ‘study session’ and an evening formal meeting. The study session is a bit more casual. Public comment starts right at 2:30pm. The formal meeting is where important decisions are taken. You will have a greater audience however you will have to wait through 20-30 minutes of preliminary ceremonies. If you have a message for city council we strongly encourage you to attend in person whether it be the afternoon or evening session.

Cheat Sheet for Contacting City Officials

City Council is the key policy-making body for Beverly Hills. Reach the City Council at (310) 285-1013 or email Council at mayorandcitycouncil@beverlyhills.org. Our mayor is not elected; it is a largely ceremonial office. Councilmembers rotate in turn for 1-year terms. The mayor runs the meeting and to some extent sets the council’s agenda.
City Manager (for now) is Nancy Hunt-Coffee. But she’s been the city manager in name only since she was appointed. In actuality the assistant city manager is Ryan Gohlich runs the city. Reach him with your complaint at (310) 285-1014 or by email at rgohlich@beverlyhills.org. Consult the city’s organization chart to see how the management and departments are structured.
Mobility is the provice of the Traffic & Parking Commission. Reach commission staff at (310) 285-1128 or by email at transportation@beverlyhills.org.
Parks is the responsibility of the Community Services department, which oversees both recreation programming and parks planning and maintenance. Reach the Director of Community Services Stephanie Harris at sharris@beverlyhills.org with any question or concern. The Recreation & Parks Commission is advisory to City Council on park matters. Contact the Rec & Parks Commission staff at (310) 285-2537 or visit the commission online.
Matters of land use and planning are the responsibility of the Community Development department. Reach the department at (310) 285-1141 or visit CDD online. Most land use policy matters are referred by city council to the Planning Commission for discussion. The commission is also responsible for certain land use decisions. Reach a commission staffer at (310) 285-1124 or visit the Planning Commission online.

Mobility Planning

We encourage those who ride a bicycle or use a scooter to apprize themselves about the city’s mobility policies and plans. Read more at the links below and feel free to contact city council with any concerns you may have about riding safely in Beverly Hills.