The Santa Monica City Council began the meeting of March 8, 2005 by proclaiming March as Women’s History Month in Santa Monica and hearing from two students from local high schools who participated with three others in an oral history art project sponsored by the Commission on the Status of Women honoring five Santa Monica women:  Cece Bradley, Janet Washington, Dorothy Ehrhart-Morrison, Betty Mueller and Millie Rosenstein.  The project was designed to let the community learn about these special women in their midst and to bridge the gap between generations.  The art pieces created by the students are currently on display in the Community Focus Gallery at Santa Monica Place and will subsequently be displayed in City Hall, at the Chamber of Commerce and at Crossroads School.

Mayor Pro Tem Katz announced the postponement of the March 12 Gang Violence Workshop to April 9, out of respect to families of two young men slain in gang-related violence on March 5   He also noted that donations for the families are being accepted by the Pico Neighborhood Association [see more information at www.StopGangViolence.smgov.net].

The Mayor Pro Tem also announced the upcoming Santa Monica Place redevelopment workshops for the community on March 13 (2 p.m. at Santa Monica Place), March 14 (6 p.m. at Grant School), March 17 (6 p.m. at Franklin School) and March 21 (6 p.m. at John Adams Middle School).  He asked the city manager to arrange a schedule whereby Councilmembers could attend workshops without violating the Council quorum prohibitions of the Brown Act.

CONSENT CALENDAR  Among matters not requiring extensive discussion, Council 1) approved an amendment to a contract with the Sussman/Prejza graphic design firm for development of branding and customer communications elements for the Big Blue Bus’s new Rapid 3 service to LAX and 2) approved a contract with Neubauer Electric for electrical power change-over related to demolition of the old police building at the rear of City Hall.

CLOSED SESSION  After discussing the matter in closed session, the Council voted in open session to approve a settlement in a personal injury case for $55,000.

ORDINANCES  Council held second reading and adopted ordinances 1) implementing “living wage” requirements for city contracts over $50,000, 2) eliminating the numerical cap on restaurants in the Bayside District, and 3) clarifying that fees may be collected on behalf of the city by the Pier Restoration Corporation and the Bayside District Corporation.  Council also held first reading on an ordinance allowing establishment of rules for use of public restrooms.

OAKS INITIATIVE  Council discussed the status of court decisions related to Proposition LL, otherwise known as the Oaks Initiative, prohibiting campaign contributions from those who have received a “public benefit” from city officials for a period of five years.  The measure was passed by Santa Monica voters in 2000 but has not been implemented owing to serious legal concerns about its Constitutionality.  Two trial courts have ruled the initiative unconstitutional.  The appellate court has declined to rule on the issue of Constitutionality.  The Council directed the city attorney to seek a judicial resolution of the issue and to study a potential initiative that could be placed on the ballot at a convenient near-term date that could achieve the goals of LL in a transparent, enforceable, Constitutional way.

PUBLIC HEARING  The Council held a public hearing to form an assessment district, at the request of residents, for various improvements on Yale Street.  The hearing will be continued to March 22, 2005 when results of the assessment ballot will be declared.  Council also directed staff to investigate the possibility of installing a four-way stop at Washington and Yale.  Council and residents acknowledged the work of staff members on developing the recommendations for the assessment district.

PREFERENTIAL PARKING ZONE ZZ  The Council adopted a resolution expanding Parking Zone ZZ to include 5th, 6th and 7th Streets between Wilshire and Montana, Montana and California Avenues between 4th and 7th Street, and Idaho and Washington Avenues between 4th and Lincoln.  Staff will continue working with businesses and residents on a proposal for employee parking in the zone, to come to Council in early summer 2005, and will look at angled parking and parking around Roosevelt School during nonschool hours as part of the solution (an information item on the matter will be circulated to the community in two to three weeks, according to the city manager).

OTHER MATTERS  Council received and filed a request that visitor parking permits be redesigned to eliminate the address for safety and privacy reasons.  The Council voted to support SB 849 (Kuehl), the California Health Insurance Reliability Act, establishing a single comprehensive health plan for all California residents.  Santa Monica College students requested an opportunity to speak with city Transportation Management staff to brainstorm parking solutions.

APPOINTMENTS  The Council appointed Robert Sullivan to the Personnel Board and continued other appointments to the next meeting.

ADJOURNMENT  The meeting was adjourned in memory of residents Hector Bonilla and Jonathan Hernandez who were tragically killed in a gang-related shooting at a private event at the Moose Lodge in Santa Monica on Sunday, March 6, and “whose deaths should strengthen our resolve to end gang violence in our community,” said Mayor Pro Tem Katz.

The next meeting of the City Council will be a special meeting in joint session with the Planning Commission to discuss the progress of Shape the Future 2025, the Land Use and Circulation Elements update, on March 15, 2005, at 5:45 p.m. in the wheelchair-accessible Council Chamber at City Hall, 1685 Main Street.

The next regular meeting of the City Council is scheduled for March 22, 2005, beginning at 5:45 p.m. in the wheelchair-accessible Council Chamber at City Hall.  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 March 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