ITEM 6-B

City Council Meeting 7-28-92             Santa Monica, California

                          STAFF REPORT

TO:       Mayor and City Council

FROM:     City Attorney

SUBJECT:  Ordinance  Amending  Municipal  Code  Section  6072  to
          Eliminate  Appeal  to  City  Council  From Decisions of
          Hearing Examiner

     At its meeting on July 14, 1992, the City Council introduced
for first reading an ordinance eliminating the appeal to the City
Council from decisions of the Hearing Examiner.  The ordinance is
now presented to the City Council for adoption.

                         RECOMMENDATION

     It  is  respectfully  recommended  that   the   accompanying
ordinance be adopted.

PREPARED BY:  Robert M. Myers, City Attorney
              Adam Radinsky, Deputy City Attorney


                     ORDINANCE NUMBER _____

                      (City Council Series)

               AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
          SANTA MONICA AMENDING MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION
            6072 TO ELIMINATE APPEALS FROM DECISIONS
           OF THE HEARING EXAMINER TO THE CITY COUNCIL

     THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY  OF  SANTA  MONICA  ORDAINS  AS
FOLLOWS:

     SECTION 1.  Santa Monica  Municipal  Code  Section  6072  is
amended to read as follows:

               SECTION 6072.  Appeal Procedure.

               (a)  A Hearing Examiner  appointed  by
         the  City  Attorney shall hear in accordance
         with this  Section  any  matter  subject  to
         appeal pursuant to Section 6124 or any other
         determination which in the discretion of the
         City  Manager  or  City  Attorney  should be
         referred  for  a  decision  by   a   Hearing
         Examiner.

               (b)  Standards.  The Hearing  Examiner
         may  suspend,  revoke,  or deny a license or
         permit whenever, in the reasonable  judgment
         of  the  Hearing  Examiner,  the suspension,
         revocation, or denial is in accordance  with
         any applicable law.

               (c)  Rules.  The City Council may,  by
         resolution,  establish rules for the conduct
         of the hearing before the Hearing  Examiner.
         In  the  absence  of such rules, the Hearing
         Examiner shall be governed  by  those  rules
         generally   applicable   to   administrative
         proceedings     conducted     under      the
         Administrative  Procedures  Act of the State
         of California.

               (d)  Hearing.  Any person aggrieved by
         an  action  appealable to a Hearing Examiner
         shall be entitled to a hearing upon filing a
         written request therefor with the City Clerk
         not  later  than  the   tenth   (10th)   day
         following  the  mailing  of  a notice of the
         action from which the appeal is taken.   The
         Hearing  Examiner  shall  hold a hearing not
         later than thirty days following receipt  of
         the  request  by  the  City Clerk, unless an
         extension of the time therefor is granted by
         the Hearing Examiner.

               The applicant shall be given  no  less
         than  five days notice of the time and place
         of said hearing.  The hearing shall be  open
         to  the  public.   Any  interested  party is
         entitled to be heard and may be  represented
         by counsel.

               (e)   Decision  of  Hearing  Examiner.
         The  decision  of the Hearing Examiner shall
         be  made  within   fifteen   days   of   the
         conclusion  of  the  hearing.  Notice of the
         decision shall be mailed to the applicant at
         his or her last known mailing address within
         twenty  days  of  the  conclusion   of   the
         hearing.

               (f)   Stay   Pending   Hearing.    The
         suspension  or  revocation  of any permit or
         license for which a request for  review  has
         been  timely filed under this Section, shall
         be stayed pending decision  of  the  Hearing
         Examiner.   Nothing in this subsection shall
         be  construed  to  require  any  officer  or
         employee  of the City to issue any permit or
         license.

               (g)   Review  of  Hearing   Examiner's
         Decision.   The  stay  expires 10 days after
         the Hearing Examiner  issues  the  decision.
         The Hearing Examiner's decision in all cases
         is final except for judicial  review.   Such
         review must be sought by petition under Code
         of Civil Procedure Section 1094.5, not later
         than 90 days after the decision is issued.

     SECTION 2.  The amendments to Municipal Code Section 6072
made by this Ordinance shall apply to any decision of the Hearing
Examiner rendered on or after July 14, 1992.

     SECTION 3.  Any parts of the  Santa  Monica  Municipal  Code
inconsistent   with   this  Ordinance,  to  the  extent  of  such
inconsistencies and no further, are repealed or modified  to  the
extent necessary to effectuate this Ordinance.

     SECTION 4.  If any portion of this Ordinance is  held  by  a
court  to  be unconstitutional or invalid, that holding shall not
affect the validity of the remainder of the Ordinance.  The  City
Council  declares  that  it  would have passed this Ordinance and
every portion not declared unconstitutional or  invalid,  without
regard  to whether any portion would be declared unconstitutional
or invalid.

     SECTION 5.  The Mayor shall sign and the  City  Clerk  shall
attest  to  the  passage of this Ordinance.  The City Clerk shall
cause it to be published once in the official newspaper within 15
days  after  its adoption.  This Ordinance shall become effective
30 days after its adoption.

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

_____________________________
ROBERT M. MYERS
City Attorney