CONSENT CALENDAR  Among matters not requiring extensive discussion, the Santa Monica City Council approved the following at the February 8, 2005 Council meeting:  a $111,518 contract with Principal Decisions Systems for 3 years of maintenance for the Police and Fire Departments’ automated staffing software, using a Homeland Security Grant; acceptance of  $15,314 in California Seat Belt Compliance Campaign grant funds from the California Office of Traffic Safety; Statement of Official Action related to CUP and occupancy levels for 1429-1431 Third Street Promenade (Gotham Hall); and $1.29 million in contracts for seismic retrofitting of Parking Structure 5 in the Downtown.

CLOSED SESSION  After a closed session discussion, Council approved in open session a dispute settlement in the applicant’s favor involving state density bonuses for real property at 1906-1922 and 1502 Broadway.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS  An appeal of the Planning Commission’s actions related to Garden of Angels School at 1001, 1009 and 1010 18th Street was withdrawn by the applicant, thus removing the matter from Council’s purview. 

Council upheld the Planning Commission’s denial of a request to modify driveways and circulation at 2901 Ocean Park Blvd. and held first reading of an ordinance permitting restaurants with more than 50 seats in the C2 District, adjacent to Ocean Park Blvd. between 25th St. and Centinela Ave., subject to approval of a CUP.  The immediate effect of the ordinance will be to allow the restaurant Il Forno to continue operating at its current capacity.

MID-TERM BUDGET REVIEW & DIRECTION FOR 2005-06 BUDGET DEVELOPMENT  Council approved $3.2 million in adjustments to the 2004-05 budget (for needs unanticipated when the budget was adopted in June 2004) and approved position and classification and salary rate changes proposed as a result of the findings of a recent classification study and to reflect changes necessitated by implementation of an $11.50/hour living wage for city employees at Council direction.

For the 2005-06 budget year, as direction to staff in budget development, Council voted to continue the community priorities from the current year in the areas of safety/quality of life in the Pico neighborhood, advancing the goals of the Sustainable City Plan, responsive customer service/fair and efficient regulatory processes, and active living.  The Council added a fifth priority for the coming year to address the impacts of homelessness on the community.

Based on 2005 citywide resident satisfaction survey results [available on-line at www.smgov.net], input from residents at the January 11 public hearing and subsequently, Councilmembers listed more than 35 other areas for potential inclusion in 2005-06 budget allocations.  Staff was directed to bring these items back prior to the May budget study sessions, along with a matrix of proposals from the community included with tonight’s agenda as an information item, for ‘weighting’ or prioritizing by Council, as additional guidance for budget development.  Consensus was, however, that overriding  priorities should be homelessness and gang violence prevention in the coming year.

Council directed staff to return with more information on the merits of formalizing the two-year budget development process (retaining annual budget adoption, as required by the City Charter) for more discussion prior to the budget study sessions in May.

ORDINANCES   The Council held second reading and adopted 1) an interim ordinance related to waiving certain development standards for “bootleg units” registered with the Rent Control Board prior to April 22, 2003; and 2) an interim ordinance clarifying that business establishments must obtain new alcohol CUPs if they cease operating for more than one year, except in the CM District where the time period is six months.

APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS/COMMISSIONS  The Council made the following appointments.  Other appointments were continued to a future meeting.

• Accessibility Appeals Board—Elizabeth Bancroft

• Disabilities Commission—Glenda Berg

OTHER MATTERS  Council voted to support Mayor O’Connor’s continuation as the Westside Cities district representative to the SCAG Regional Council; designated Mayor O’Connor  to attend the Community Workshop on Gang Violence to be held on February 26, with other Councilmembers to split attendance “shifts” to avoid Brown Act quorum violations; and designated Mayor Pro Tem Katz to attend the March 12 follow-up workshop, with the same “split shift” approach for other Councilmembers.  On the advice of the City Attorney, the Council determined, for the same Brown Act-related reasons, they would attend upcoming Land Use and Circulation Element (“Shape the Future 2025”) workshops as information resources only, not to influence or participate in discussions.

The meeting was adjourned in memory of Dale Eunson, a valued city employee since 1994, who passed away Tuesday afternoon, Feb. 8, after battling cancer for several years.  She died at home, under hospice care, surrounded by her three children and good friends.  Part of a theater troupe, The Wims, Dale had just recently given her last performance in a series of workshops performed at the Church in Ocean Park.  She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her family, friends and coworkers at the city.

The next meeting of the City Council will be Feb. 22, 2005, at 5:45 p.m. in the wheelchair-accessible Council Chamber at City Hall, 1685 Main Street. Council meetings are aired live on CityTV Channel 16 and on the Netcast on the city's website and, for regularly scheduled meetings from 8 p.m. to midnight on KCRW 89.9 FM.

NOTE:  This wrap-up is not an official record of Council action.  The official record is posted by the City Clerk on this website at http://www.smgov.net/cityclerk/council/agendas/2005/ as soon as possible after the meeting.  (Click on the February 8 agenda link.)

SPECIAL NOTE:  Council meetings are now video streamed on the web  (http://santamonica.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2) and re-aired on CityTV2 cable channel 20.

CITY COUNCIL NETCAST!
Watch and listen to Santa Monica City Council meetings on the Web!

MEETING WRAP-UP ARCHIVE