At the beginning of the City Council meeting of July 25, Mayor Holbrook announced the absence of Councilmember Genser who is recovering from an injury suffered over the weekend, wishing him a quick recovery and speedy return to the dais.   

CONSENT CALENDAR  Among matters not requiring extensive discussion, the following were approved by Council:  property lease for 1660 Lincoln Boulevard to store Big Blue Bus parts; final parcel map for subdivision of 1127 6th Street for a 4-unit project; lease with OPCC for use of the SAMOSHEL facility at 505 Olympic Boulevard; final tract map for a 10-unit condominium project at 2121 Virginia Avenue; Statement of Official Action approving CUP and variance for Juliano’s Raw Restaurant at 609 Broadway; a $371,725 contract with Fleming Environmental to provide various underground storage tank improvements at city-owned facilities; and a $70,885 contract with the Ferguson Company for Federal representative and lobbying services.  The item on an RFP for Affordable Housing for Chronically Homeless Persons at 1614-1616 Ocean was pulled at the request of staff.

ORDINANCES  Council held second reading and adopted an ordinance revising the review process and standards regulating conversion of a ground floor food use to any other new or expanded use on the Third Street Promenade, directing staff to explore with Bayside District staff and board the possibility of properties trading restaurant spaces and how such a system might work. 

Council also held second reading and adoption of four interim ordinances on the following:  requiring new alcohol CUPs for establishments that had them but ceased operating for a certain period; allowing administrative approval of driveways required for parking structures with over 40 parking spaces in certain districts; authorizing placement of furniture, portable landscaping and cigarette disposal receptacles in the public right of way and display of merchandise in private vestibules; and modifying the threshold at which a structure is determined to be substantially remodeled and thereby subject to application zoning requirements.

Council adopted an emergency ordinance amending Chapter 6 of the Municipal Code relating to the Utility Users Tax to clarify the application of existing law for telephone communication services, due to a recent ruling issued by the IRS.  By adopting the emergency ordinance, the city did not make any change in the way in which the UUT is calculated, imposed or administered. 

BANNING SMOKING IN FIVE OUTDOOR AREAS  Council gave staff direction to prepare an ordinance for consideration that will ban outdoor smoking, thereby protecting the public from the negative health effects of “environmental tobacco smoke”, in all outdoor dining areas and outdoor service areas, within 20 feet of entrances and windows to buildings open to the public, on the Third Street Promenade and at all Farmers Markets.   

NOVEMBER BALLOT MEASURES  Council directed staff to take necessary actions to place the following measures on the November 7, 2006 municipal election ballot: 

    - Lowest Police Priority for Marijuana Ordinance  After reviewing a report from the Police Chief on significant negative enforcement impacts of this petition-qualified initiative, Council directed staff to return with a resolution and ballot language to place the measure on the ballot (their only other option was to adopt the ordinance as submitted).

    - Amending various City Charter sections  Council adopted a resolution to place a measure on the November ballot removing department heads from the classified service, clarifying and modifying positions in the City Clerk’s office [after a discussion about the definition of “confidential” employees, Council amended section 707(e) allowing future flexibility in that regard], amending advisory roles of certain boards and commissions related to department head appointments and making other “clean-up” modifications to the city’s Civil Service rules. Council authorized any or all of the four Councilmembers not running for office this year (Bloom, Genser, Katz and Shriver) to sign the measure, with the four also authorized to make decisions about community members as potential signers as well.

    - Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax  Council held a public hearing and voted to put the Clean Beaches and Ocean Parcel Tax measure, as amended to include exemptions for low income property owners and renters, on the November ballot.  The tax, which will be used to implement and finance a portion of the city’s Watershed Management Plan to protect the health and cleanliness of Santa Monica Bay, will be established at $84 per single family home.  As with the above measure, Council authorized any or all of the four Councilmembers not running for office this year to sign the measure and make decisions about including other signers.

AMENDING “TAXPAYER PROTECTION” ARTICLE XXII  Council directed staff to return on August 8 with revisions to the proposal presented to amend City Charter Article XXII (also known as the “Oakes Initiative”) preserving the spirit of the initiative to prohibit kickbacks for votes, better protecting the rights of elected and appointed officials and taking into account comments made at the meeting regarding several points.  Staff was also directed to provide Council with information on a similar measure Pasadena will put before its voters in November.

PUBLIC FINANCING OF COUNCIL ELECTIONS  Rather than placing a general “Clean Money” Charter measure on the November ballot, Council directed staff to consult with experts, evaluate models in other cities, identify funding sources and come back to Council promptly (with the goal of completion by November 2007 of either a proposed Charter amendment or proposed ordinance) for a public campaign financing system, including changes to the city’s campaign contribution ordinance (currently $250 maximum per donation).

STORMWATER PARCEL REPORT   Council held a public hearing and approved the annual Stormwater Parcel Report setting each parcel’s stormwater fee.  The fee levels remain unchanged from last year.

YOUTH ANTI-VIOLENCE PROGRAM  Council directed that staff continue the process already begun, working on enforcement, prevention and intervention strategies to steer Santa Monica youth away from gangs, and report back to the Council on the city’s efforts—and on efforts of all the institutional partners working on the issue, including the school district, college and the Pico Youth & Family Center—at the appropriate time.

APPOINTMENTS  Appointments to Boards and Commissions were continued.

NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES Council directed staff to work with the NLC Leadership Training Institute to conduct a seminar on Building Partnerships for a Stronger Community in Santa Monica , January 25-27, 2007.

METRO AQUA LINE  Council voted to support the designation of the color aqua for the Exposition Light Rail project and refer to the project as the Metro Aqua Line. 

On a Personal Note  It has been my privilege to observe democracy in action and report on it in these wrap-ups for the last eight years.  The wrap-up was begun to fill a gap left when the Evening Outlook ceased publishing in 1998 and there was no easy way for the public to find out the morning after a Council meeting all the actions that were taken by Council the night before.  I’m retiring, but the wrap-up will continue in capable hands.  Not that I’m in Edward R. Murrow’s league, but I can’t resist:  Good morning (it’s 12:05 a.m.) and good luck!                                                                                                                                       --Judy Rambeau Franz

The next regular meeting of the Santa Monica City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, August 8, 2006, beginning at 5:45 p.m. (although Council expects to take a half hour break at 6 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. 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 July 25, 2006 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