CONSENT CALENDAR  Among matters not requiring extensive discussion, the following were approved by the City Council:  a proposal to the California Integrated Waste Management Board for an Arts Reuse Program; an amendment to an existing contract with L.A. County for use of 325 parking spaces at the Civic Auditorium for courthouse use; an $88,600 agreement with Psomas to conduct a study on structural best practices for the Santa Monica Airport sub-watershed to reduce urban runoff pollution; a contract with Commerce Energy for the purchase of renewable electricity for city facilities; purchase of 45 Motorola radios for the Police Department; a three-year $600,000 contract with General Environmental Management to provide hazardous waste management and transportation services; a $210,110 one-year contract (with two one-year renewal options) with L.A. Cha Maintenance to provide janitorial services for the Public Safety Facility; a $120,197 contract amendment with Black and Veatch Corporation for additional design services for Parking Structure 4 improvements; statements of official action on appeal denials (from May 25, 2006) related to the 415 PCH project; final subdivision maps for properties at 1902-1914 California Avenue and 1107 18th Street; a grant application with L.A. County for the Senior Nutrition and Recreation Program and for a telephone reassurance service for elderly persons; a $75,000 one-time grant as part of a regional effort to preserve the St. Joseph Center’s Homeless Services Center; and a resolution revising the affordable housing unit base fee for new market-rate multifamily development.   

Related to the L.A. Cha Maintenance contract, the Council asked staff to research how other cities with a living wage ordinance monitor contractor compliance with the ordinance, to see if there is a best practice for doing so that Santa Monica might adopt. 

On a recommendation to issue an emergency order allowing for placement of security cameras on the Pier, the Council instead directed that the manner in which the cameras will be attached to the landmark Carousel building be reviewed by the Landmarks Commission on July 10 and that the matter be agendized for Council reconsideration on July 11. 

CLOSED SESSION  No action was taken. 

APPEAL  Council denied the appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of a CUP for Juliano’s Raw (a restaurant at 6th and Broadway) to allow beer and wine sale and approved a variance allowing Juliano’s to operate as a restaurant rather than incidental food use, with the condition that the owner provide the required parking spaces on-site or two off-site spaces within a 1000’ radius, or provide valet parking.

ORDINANCES  Council held first reading on two extensions of interim ordinances,  the first authorizing food-serving businesses to establish ancillary sidewalk dining cafes of up to 200 square feet in commercial areas of the city (“minor outdoor dining”), and the second eliminating the cut-off date (formerly April 22, 2003) for registration of “bootleg units” with the Rent Control Board.  The Council held first reading of ordinances extending plan limits for the Earthquake Recovery, Downtown, Ocean Park 1A and IB Redevelopment Project Areas, as authorized by SB 1096. 

An ordinance related to converting ground floor food uses to other uses on the Third Street Promenade was continued to July 11, to be heard before the scheduled study session. 

NOVEMBER BALLOT MEASURE  Council accepted a qualified initiative petition for a proposed ordinance entitled “Lowest Police Priority for Marijuana Ordinance” and, after discussing problems with the initiative, especially from law enforcement’s perspective, directed staff to prepare an analysis of the measure’s practical impacts.  The matter will be reagendized in July, when the Council’s only options will be to adopt the ordinance or place it on the November 7, 2006 ballot. 

CHANGING PERS RETIREMENT FORMULA  Council authorized the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with the city’s eight bargaining units of non-sworn employees amending the city’s contract with CalPERS to provide a  2.7% at 55 retirement benefit beginning July 1, 2007.  The current benefit is 2% at 55.  Employees will begin pre-funding the new benefit on July 1, 2006 through a 2.5% after-tax payroll deduction.   Employees will reimburse the city for all additional costs associated with the change, making it cost-neutral to the city.

SMC SHUTTLE PARKING  Santa Monica College President Dr. Chui Tsang made a request of Council to continue the use of 400 parking spaces in Beach Lot 5 through December 19, 2006, Monday-Thursday, for shuttle parking.  While acknowledging that December 19 is not a firm end date, Dr. Tsang expressed his commitment to working with the neighbors, finding better routes for the shuttle, obtaining CNG buses and smaller buses, providing quarterly reports to the city on the college’s progress in finding substitute parking and on how the college is addressing the neighbors’ concerns.  Dr. Tsang also agreed to respond in writing to a series of questions asked by the Ocean Park Association and the Sea Colony homeowners.  After hearing from beach lot neighbors and others, the Council approved the request, with five conditions: the college, through the city, is to apply for a Coastal Commission permit for using the lot; Dr. Tsang to attend with the City Manager any neighborhood meetings necessary and to help develop strategies to eliminate negative impacts; college to lease environmentally friendly shuttles; college to provide the quarterly reports, as mentioned above, to the city and regular updates to the community on their progress in finding other parking; and college to focus with the Big Blue Bus and other city staff and Metro on reducing the amount of vehicular traffic.  Council also directed that staff return on August 8 with the proposed agreement with the college, including its proposed duration.  Staff will have met with neighbors by then as well. 

A request of the Santa Monica Conservancy to discuss a proposal to establish a Preservation Resource Center in the Shotgun House (stored now at the old Fisher Lumber site) was continued to a future meeting. 

APPOINTMENTS  Appointments to boards and commissions were continued to a future meeting with a full Council. 

CLEAN ENERGY INITIATIVE  The Council endorsed the California Clean Energy Initiative, urging a yes vote on November 7.  A major goal of the initiative is to reduce Californian’s use of fossil fuels by 25% in the next 10 years.  The measure would fund a $4 billion effort to bring more renewable fuels, renewable energy and related jobs to the state over the same period. 

A request to allocate up to $15,000 in Council discretionary funds to Project Echo to help nine Santa Monica High School students travel to Shanghai to represent the U.S. in the Sage World Cup, an international competition designed to foster ethical and socially responsible entrepreneurship on a global level, was continued to a future meeting when the Councilmember making the request is present. 

ADJOURNMENT  Council adjourned in memory of Miriam Goldsmith, who passed away last week.  Tireless worker for peace and freedom, member of the MLK, Jr. Coalition, SMRR and other organizations, she was named Woman of the Year in the ‘90s by then Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl.  Council expressed sympathy to her family, which includes Joan Goldsmith who has worked with the city frequently as a meeting facilitator.

The next regular meeting of the Santa Monica City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, July 11, 2006, 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/2006/ as soon as possible after the meeting. (Click on the June 27 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.