(NOT APPROVED)

 

CITY OF SANTA MONICA

 

CITY COUNCIL MINUTES

 

MARCH 20, 2007

 

A regular adjourned meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was called to order by Mayor Bloom at 5:49 p.m., on Tuesday, March 20, 2007, at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street.

 

Roll Call:          Present:            Mayor Richard Bloom

                                                Mayor Pro Tem Herb Katz

                                                Councilmember Robert T. Holbrook

                                                Councilmember Kevin McKeown

                                                Councilmember Pam O’Connor (arrived at 7:53 p.m.)

                                                Councilmember Bobby Shriver (arrived at 6:02 p.m.)

 

                        Absent: Councilmember Genser

 

                        Also Present:    City Manager P. Lamont Ewell

                                                Assistant City Attorney Joseph Lawrence

                                                Acting City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren

           

On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened at 5:49 p.m., with Councilmembers O’Connor, Genser and Shriver absent. Jerry Rubin led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

CLOSED SESSIONS

 

Member of the public Joe Natoli spoke on Closed Session items.

 

Councilmember Shriver arrived at 6:02 p.m.

 

On order of the Mayor, the City Council recessed at 5:52 p.m., to considered closed sessions and returned at 7:07 p.m., with Councilmembers O’Connor and Genser absent to report the following:

 

2-A:     Public Employee Evaluations.

            Title of Employees:  City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk

 

            ACTION:        Heard. No reportable action taken.

 

2-B:     Conference with Real Property Negotiator

            Property: 1640 5th Street

            City Negotiator: Miriam Mack

            Under Negotiation: Interest in Real Property

            Owner of Record: Waldman Family Trust

 

            ACTION:        Heard. No reportable action taken.

 

 

STUDY SESSION:

 

3-A:     Discussion of Beach Summit Findings Recently Conducted by the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, was presented.

 

Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director, Misti Kearns and staff members provided the results of a recent Beach Study and Beach Summit and introduced a new concept of Brand Santa Monica, which will encourage hospitality workers to take training at Santa Monica College to become more familiar and knowledgeable about Santa Monica and the amenities available to visitors.

 

Members of the public Joe Natoli and Jerry Rubin spoke in support of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

 

On order of the Mayor, the information was received and filed.

 

Councilmember O’Connor arrived at 7:53 p.m.

 

3-B:     Study Session on Results of 2007 Santa Monica Resident Survey, was presented by Kate Vernez and consultant Paul Goodwin.

 

Members of the public Joey Fullmer, Melvin Ross and Joe Natoli expressed their views of the results of the survey.

 

On order of the Mayor, the information was received and filed. 

 

STAFF ADMIN. ITEMS:

 

8-A:     Proposed revisions to City’s Commemoration and Tribute Policy – recommendation to adopt Resolution No. 10202 (CCS) entitled: “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA GOVERNING THE PLACEMENT OF MEMORIALS AND TRIBUTES IN CITY PARKS,” was presented.

 

Member of the public, Joey Fullmer spoke in support of the resolution.

 

Motion by Councilmember McKeown, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Katz, to adopt Resolution No. 10202 (CCS), reading by title only and waiving further reading there of. 

 

Motion to amend by Mayor Bloom, to direct staff to evaluate the program over the course of one or two years to make sure that residents who have an interest in making a tribute are being accommodated.

 

Councilmember McKeown, accepted the motion as friendly, but asked to have the report come back to Council in the form of an Information Item, Mayor Pro Tem Katz, also accepted the amendment as friendly.

 

The motion, as amended, was approved by the following vote:

 

AYES: Councilmembers Holbrook, Shriver, O’Connor, McKeown, Mayor Pro Tem Katz, Mayor Bloom       

NOES: None   

ABSENT:        Councilmember Genser

 

8-B:     Green Building, Landscaping Standards, and Construction

and Demolition Waste Ordinances; and Resolution authorizing expedited permitting for Solar Electric and Solar Thermal Systems – recommendation to direct the City Attorney to amend the Green Building Ordinance, Landscaping Standards Ordinance and the Construction Demolition Waste Ordinance, to reflect the State’s Title 24 standards; and adopt Resolution No. 10203 (CCS) entitled: “A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA SETTING FORTH THE PRIORITY OF CITY SERVICES RELATED TO DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES,”was presented.

 

Mayor Pro Tem Katz was excused at 8:30 p.m.

 

Members of the public Joey Fullmer, David Hertz and Leslie Hoffman spoke in support of the recommendation.

 

Motion by Councilmember McKeown to approve the staff recommendation and to add into the motion the recommendation from the Task Force on the Environment to direct staff to expand the Green Building ordinance to establish requirements for LEED certification for all projects in Santa Monica over 10,000 square feet and to adopt Resolution No. 10203 (CCS) to grant priority status to solar electric and thermal projects. 

 

The motion failed for lack of a second.

 

Motion by Councilmember McKeown, seconded by Councilmember O’Connor, to adopt the staff recommendation and to also adopt those portions of the motion of the Task Force on the Environment that the city should explore incentives or requirements, excluding the requirement for LEED certification, but would include the Green roofs, solar thermal and solar electric systems; plug-in hybrids and dedicated electric vehicle electrical infrastructure for parking lots and parking structures; solar chimneys and other passive building cooling and heating techniques.

 

The motion was approved by the following vote:

 

AYES: Councilmembers Holbrook, Shriver, O’Connor, McKeown, Mayor Bloom

NOES: None

ABSENT:        Councilmember Genser, Mayor Pro Tem Katz

Councilmember O’Connor was excused at 8:48 p.m.

 

8-C:  Request to direct staff to prepare an emergency ordinance implementing provisions of the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act of 2006 related to State video service franchises serving Santa Monica, was presented.

 

There was no one present for public comment.

 

Motion by Councilmember Holbrook, seconded by Councilmember McKeown, to approve staff recommendation.  The motion was approved by the following vote:

 

AYES: Councilmembers McKeown, Shriver, Holbrook,

                        Mayor Bloom

NOES: None

ABSENT:        Councilmember O’Connor, Genser, Mayor Pro Tem Katz

 

Councilmember O’Connor returned at 8:53 p.m.

 

8-D:     Status report on Exposition Light Rail in Santa Monica - recommendation to authorize preparation of comments to the Exposition Construction Authority related to the Exposition Light Rail Phase 2 Alternative Analysis and Draft EIR, was presented.

 

The following members of the public spoke in support of the recommendation: Jerry Rubin and Darrell Clarke.

 

Motion by Mayor Bloom, seconded by Councilmember Holbrook, to approve the recommendation and include the Planning Commission’s recommendation and direct staff to include all comments from the public and Council for analysis.

 

Motion to amend by Councilmember O’Connor, to have wording include the most direct route to Santa Monica and language that indicates the City would oppose any realignment that would take the rail outside of Santa Monica. The motion to amend was accepted as friendly by the maker and seconder.  The motion, as amended, was approved by the following vote:

 

AYES: Councilmembers McKeown, Holbrook, Shriver, O’Connor,

                        Mayor Bloom

NOES: None

ABSENT:        Councilmember Genser, Mayor Pro Tem Katz

 

WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS:

 

12-A:   Request of Jerry Rubin that there be a new policy for 12-items to be placed on Council's agenda so that the policy is less discretionary and clearly outlined, was presented.

 

Public member Joe Natoli spoke in support of the issue.

 

On order of the Mayor, the information was received and filed.

 

COUNCILMEMBER DISCUSSION ITEMS:

 

13-A:   Request of Mayor Bloom and Mayor Pro Tempore Katz to continue discussion related to uses of Council contingency from the January 6, 2007 Council Workshop.

 

On order of the Mayor, this matter was Continued to April 10, 2007.

 

13-B:   Request of Councilmember Holbrook for Council to reconsider the installation of red light cameras on a pilot basis, was presented.

 

Member of the public Jerry Rubin spoke in support of the proposal.

 

Motion by Councilmember Holbrook, seconded by Councilmember McKeown, to ask staff to evaluate the technology and make sure that it is effective and fair and come back with a recommendation.

 

AYES: Councilmembers McKeown, O’Connor, Shriver, Holbrook,

                        Mayor Bloom

NOES: None

ABSENT:        Councilmembers Genser, Mayor Pro Tem Katz                                                           

 

PUBLIC INPUT:

There was no one present for public input.

 

ADJOURNMENT: 

On order of the Mayor, the City Council meeting was adjourned at 9:37 p.m. to April 10, 2007.

 

ATTEST:                                                         APPROVED:

 

 

Denise Anderson-Warren                                 Richard Bloom

Acting City Clerk                                              Mayor