HOMELESS UPDATE – Former LA County Supervisor Ed Edelman, the City’s special representative for homeless initiatives, reported the steady and forward movement within the region to reduce homelessness, including the selection of Rebecca Isaacs, a Santa Monica resident, as the new executive director of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Agency; commitments by the City of Los Angeles for affordable housing and a proposed housing bond for the November ballot; discussion by the LA County Board of Supervisors on the implementation strategy for the County’s homeless initiative plan; and progress on the Santa Monica Homeless Community Court and relocation of the outdoor feeding groups to indoor locations (see below). Councilmember Shriver reported on the slowed progress in designating three buildings on the West Los Angeles Veterans Administration campus for therapeutic, supportive housing for homeless veterans, which is being stalled in Washington, D.C. He urged individuals to contact Congressman Waxman and Senator Feinstein to advocate for this project.

DISABILITIES AWARENESS MONTH – Council presented a proclamation, declaring October 2006 as Disabilities Awareness Month, to Christopher Knauf, the Disabilities Commission Chairperson. The Disabilities Commission will be hosting a Disability Awareness Month Celebration on October 28th at 1 p.m. at the Main Library.

CONSENT CALENDAR Among matters not requiring extensive discussion, the Council awarded bids and approved contracts for the purchase of cement concrete to repair sidewalks, driveways, curbs and gutters; a three-year service improvement and efficiency program for the Big Blue Bus to identify changes to bus routes and schedules; and a digital storage system for video taken by cameras in the Public Safety Facility jail to replace an outdated analog video recording system. Council also gave a green light to create a new crosswalk across Main Street at Vicente Terrace and an island in the center of the crosswalk in front of City Hall on Main Street to improve pedestrian safety. Council also asked staff to consider as they move forward the potential conflict of uses around the bus stop and refuge island for bicyclists, and to provide information on the phasing of all Main Street improvements. The City Council also adopted resolutions in support of a $37.3 billion package of state infrastructure bonds (Propositions 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D and 1E) on the November 7 ballot that will provide funding for transportation, housing, levee repairs and flood control projects, and education facilities. Council also approved a lease for new digs at 1433 Fourth Street for the Civil Engineering and Architecture Division, whose current lease on Main Street expires January 1, 2007.

As part of the City’s homeless initiatives, Council also authorized a one-year pilot Homeless Community Court, funded by a $458,000 grant from Los Angeles County, which will operate one-half day per month, initially in the Council Chambers. The objective of the court is to use the judicial system to move homeless individuals off the streets of Santa Monica and into supportive services and housing. They also approved funds to relocate two of the largest outdoor homeless meal programs, which operate independent of the City, to an indoor location, next to the existing OPCC Access Center on Colorado Boulevard. The facility will be available for the feeding programs until August 2007, when the building will be demolished for the Big Blue Bus campus expansion. Council asked for frequent updates on the program, particularly in its beginning weeks.

LIVING WAGE – Staff reported that fiscal impact of the Living Wage Ordinance for the 2005-06 fiscal year was $583,320, which includes increased contractor costs and adjusted employee salaries. The ordinance, adopted in March 2005, set the minimum wage at $11.50 per hour for City contracts for services of $50,000 or greater; the wage has been adjusted to $12.10 as of July 1, 2006 for all City contracts for services of $52,600 or greater.

SHAPING THE FUTURE - Council introduced for first reading an ordinance that would take the first step in codifying policies emerging from the City’s multi-year effort to revise the Land Use and Circulation Element. Council approved the Planning Commission’s recommendations with some changes. Under the proposed ordinance, preferred uses - such as projects that are certified historic resources, provide 100 percent affordable housing units, and other specific categories - would be guided by existing zoning regulations. The non-preferred, permitted projects do not advance key policies are thereby would be subject to modified development standards that reduce their density and scope.

LANDMARK INCENTIVES – Council held first reading of an ordinance that would serve as a catalyst to allow for both the construction of new housing and the on-site preservation and retention of designated City landmarks and structures that contribute to adopted historic districts. Specifically, for these types of structures and projects that conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s standards for the treatment of historic property, the changes would 1) exempt them from the rules that limit construction timing of projects within 500 feet of each other (construction rate program); 2) clarify that the Landmarks Commission has sole regulatory authority over design review for these types of projects; and 3) exempt them from Affordable Housing Production Program obligations. The changes were proposed by Fifth Street Condo Project, LLC, for a property on 954 5th street, which includes retention of circa 1908 cottage and three new condo units behind it.

EXPEDITED REVIEW FOR PRIORITY PROJECTS – Council held first reading of an ordinance that would define priority or expedited service to address the complete range of services needed for development and permit processing, from application to final issuance of a certificate of occupancy or related business license. Currently, the existing system of expedited incentives and fee waivers is not uniform for priority types of development, such as affordable housing, green buildings, seismic safety, child care facilities, historic preservation and charitably funded public projects. They types of projects that would receive priority would be set by resolution by the Council. The proposal also eliminates the green building plan review fee.

OTHER ORDINANCES - Council also held first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit City employees from serving as members of local legislative bodies where all members are appointed by the City Council. They also held second readings and adopted an ordinance that incorporates into the zoning code additional development standards and in some cases architectural review for Sunset Park and North of Wilshire areas of the R1 zoning district. The ordinance would make permanent interim standards that have been developed over the last three years to reduce the allowable massing and bulk of new construction as a result of neighborhood concerns.

RESOLUTION ON 415 PCH – Council adopted a resolution expressing the Council’s intentions regarding the proposed public beach club at 415 Pacific Coast Highway, which was required of the settlement agreement Council approved on September 12, 2006.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION – Council heard from a resident opposed to a proposed project at 1826-28 Pearl Street, which Step Up on Second, a non-profit mental health organization, has identified for purchase pending funding and a loan approval by the City. The resident asked that the proposed project be located to another site and that Council consider the allowable uses in R-2 zones.

APPOINTMENTS  - Kristina Loof Deutsch was appointed to the Recreation and Parks Commission for a term ending 6/30/2010.

COUNCILMEMBER DISCUSSION ITEMS - Council approved a resolution in support of Proposition 86, the Tobacco Tax Act of 2006, which would increase the tobacco tax and use the funds to reduce smoking and fund health care initiatives. They also directed staff to prepare an ordinance setting specified air quality performance criteria for awarding future taxi franchise agreements within the City.

Council also directed staff to prepare an ordinance, which may include franchising, setting specified air quality performance criteria for awarding future taxi business licenses.

ADJOURNMENT AND NEXT MEETING - The meeting was adjourned at 12:55 a.m. to October 3, 2006, at 5:45 p.m. The next regular meeting of the Santa Monica City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, October 10, 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. 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 September 26, 2006 agenda link.)