COUNCIL COUNTDOWN

(The following is a summation of what went on in the Santa Monica City Council chambers during the council’s meeting Feb. 28, including a timeline, notable public comments and excerpts taken.)

TIMELINE:

6:07 p.m.: After waiting roughly 20 minutes for a quorum, Mayor Bob Holbrook called the meeting to order. Absent were council members Pam O’Connor, Ken Genser and Herb Katz. O’Connor was out of town on city business, Holbrook said. Katz arrived later that evening, and Genser was recovering in a local hospital from surgery. The council wished him a speedy recovery.

The council clock was stuck at 7:15.

6:09 p.m.: Holbrook calls for public discussion for consent items on the agenda. There are 16 requests to speak, with two minutes for each person. Residents, business owners, environmentalists and council gadflies discussed the creation of a dog beach near Wilshire Boulevard and the renovation of bathrooms on the pier.

6:37 p.m.: Public comment on consent items ended. Mayor Pro-Tem Bobby Shriver requested to pull an unusual number of items for discussion along with Council member Richard Bloom. The items dealt with the creation of a dog beach pilot program, the city’s investment policy, pier restroom replacement and a sewer easement at the Holiday Inn, 120 Colorado Ave.

Council voted 3-2 against postponing action on the dog beach for later in the evening, which was requested by Shriver so that Mark Gold of Heal the Bay could speak on the item later that evening.

Bloom, who voted against postponement, said, “My concern is that if we make an exemption for Mr. Gold … why wouldn’t we make that exemption for any one on any night who can’t be here at the beginning of the meeting.”

Dog beach supporters clapped in support and were warned by Holbrook that any display such as cheering or clapping is not allowed in the council chambers.

The dog beach item was approved along with the remainder of the consent items. Council voted unanimously to move forward with the pier bathroom construction, but with a request to the Landmarks Commission, which overseas improvements to the historic pier, to seek input from the Architectural Review Board.

Regarding the city’s investment policy, council approved it, but with the condition that no one making investment decisions for City Hall be allowed to have accounts in financial institutions involved in those investments. Shriver said he wanted to add this provision to protect against “leakage,” or financial kickbacks.

Shriver pulled the sewer easement item because he wanted to address why only one company bid on the design contract out of 100 who were contacted. “Only getting one bid makes me kind of nervous,” he said. “This might indicate something’s wrong with our process.”

7:30 p.m.: Council entered into closed session.

8:31 p.m.: Council returned from closed session. City Attorney Marsha Moutrie reported that the council instructed her staff to join an appeal of a court decision decided against City Hall in it’s effort to stop construction at Playa Vista because of traffic concerns the council believes were not discussed in the projects Environmental Impact Report.

8:35 p.m.: City Hall staff gave a report on preferential parking permits for employees of the Pico Neighborhood and Sunset Park. Staff recommended the council approve an ordinance creating a preferential parking pilot program for employees working around 10th Street and Pico Boulevard.

8:54 p.m.: Public comment began on the parking program.

9:39 p.m.: Public comment ended and the council entered into public discussion of the program and ultimately approved it, along with restrictions on preferential parking for streets north of Alta Avenue between Lincoln Boulevard and 17th Street. This was the first reading of the ordinance, which will be brought back before the council for final approval. Council member McKeown voted against the ordinance because he felt it was not fair to prohibit residents north of Alta from creating a preferential parking zone when other neighborhoods have been allowed to do so.

10:30 p.m.: City staff gave a report on the downtown parking program.

10:37 p.m.: Public comment began.

10:47 p.m.: Public comment ended. The council certified the final program Environmental Impact Report and after lengthy discussion and two votes that failed, the council tabled the remainder of the actions related to the item and instructed staff to bring them back in a “timely” manner when, hopefully, all council members are present. Council also directed staff to research and provide detailed information on automated parking systems and how they could be used in Santa Monica.

11:32 p.m.: Staff gave a report on the renovation of the Marion Davies estate at 415 Pacific Coast Highway into a public beach club.

12:04 a.m.: Public comment began.

12:30 a.m.: Public comment ended. Council approved the refined schematic design for the beach club and the conditions for community use. After hearing from residents who are concerned about safety and programming, council included a condition to tie enforcement and maintenance of security to the project permit and ordered staff to continue pushing Caltrans for a full traffic signal at PCH and the south parking lot of the estate. Council also asked for staff to bring back projections of operating revenues and expenditures and to come back with a “break-even” scenario.”

12:45 a.m.: Council reappointed Nancy Greenstein to the Los Angeles County Vector Control District for a two-year term. An appointment to the Pier Restoration Corp. was continued.

12:46 a.m.: Public comment began on items not on the agenda.

12:55 a.m.. The meeting was adjourned.



BY THE NUMBERS
Time spent on the top three issues facing Santa Monicans, based on city surveys:

Homelessness: 0 minutes
Traffic: 35 minutes
Parking: 3 hours
Public Comments: 2 hours and 41 minutes
City Council/staff discussions: 2 hours and 50 minutes.



LET’S TALK CHIT
“Chits” (Public addressing City Council)

“This whole issue of parking has become a Gordian Knot, and if it is to be cut, it must be cut with the sword of equity.”
Pico resident Paul Collins, speaking on the residential parking pilot program for employees working near Pico Boulevard and 10th Street.

“I do the karma pick-up.”
Susan di Rende, a member of Unleash the Beach, who said she scoops up other dogs’ poop that owners leave behind. Di Rende is supportive of the state creating a leash-free dog beach in Santa Monica.

Joy Fulmer Incite: “On the Big Blue Bus fare (increase for UCLA students,) I don’t know about you, but I’m really getting tired of having school kids sharing the buses. They’re getting awfully crowded at certain times of the day. It’s terrible … Also, I did want to mention, I hope you know, it’s illegal to go into our closets, our cabinets and drawers. That’s a privacy issue. On the dog beach program, I think it should be off-season, be relatively small area and fenced in.”



QUOTE OF NOTE
“I want to remain at my most eloquent, so no comment.”
Council member Bobby Shriver, who decided not to speak further on the downtown parking program because as the newest member on the council, he is unfamiliar with the project and its history.