
At the October 28, 2024, Culver City Council meeting, the vote was 3-1-1, with Vice Mayor Dan O’Brien, Council member Goran Eriksson and Council member Albert Vera, Jr. all voted in favor of advertising kiosks in the public right-of-way. Council member Freddy Puza voted no, and Mayor Yasmine Imani McMorrin abstained.
From the first inception of the idea in November of 2021, the push for digital electronics to be granted public space for ‘wayfinding’ and advertising has been fraught. The historic aversion that the city has had to signage used as advertising is now a thing of the past.
Where these kiosks will be located is the major factor yet to be determined. In her report from the city, Economic Development Director Elaine Gerety Warner noted that Downtown, the Arts District and Fox Hills were all being considered.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Dorothy Sadd of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee spoke to offer that body’s consultation on placements that would be safe, and not interfere with sight lines or pedestrian access. “You can imagine places in Culver City where they would fit – that might not be where a media company would want them.”
Of 40 companies that responded to the Request for Proposals, the city opted to work with IKE/Smart City, a company that has kiosks in twenty cities, from Atlanta to Detroit.
“We do not collect and sell data… that is not our business.” Clay Collette, Senior Director of the Los Angeles offices of IKE/Smart City, emphasized during his presentation on the company. Smart City is a subdivision of Orange Barrel Media. “We show a mix of art, advertising and city wayfinding information that is supported by our software.”
An almost equal number of speakers were pro and con, but it was clear that the conservative council majority was not too concerned with public reflection – this was cutting a slice for a business that, up until now, was against city code.
The motion by Eriksson, seconded by Vera was “The approval of a digital interactive kiosk program with commercial advertising along city sidewalks, select IKE as the vendor of the program, create an ad hoc subcommittee to determine the terms of the contract and involve all stakeholders in site selection, and have final site selection come back to the council for approval.”
Judith Martin-Straw