Tuesday’s City Council is a mostly light affair, but more importantly, it marks the last with Gleam Davis as Mayor, before Councilmember Phil Brock takes over for a period of one year.
Davis will remain on Council however, but she, along with Brock and Councilmembers Oscar de la Torre and Christine Parra are up for re-election next year, if the city’s election process remains unchanged as the outcome of the long gestating California Voting Rights Act could potentially upend the election process.
In December of last year, the Council elected Davis to serve as mayor for one year, with Brock serving the second year. One month later, in January 2023, the Council voted six to one to change the system going forward to "select the longest continuously serving Councilmember, whether initially elected or appointed, to serve as Mayor for a one-year term."
Other highlights include, in the Consent Calendar, Council will authorize the City to negotiate and execute a second modification to the agreement with Flying Lion Incorporated to provide air support services for the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD). This will result in a 5-year amended agreement with a new total amount not to exceed $1,381,000. Flying Lion is the civilian contractor that provides much of the equipment and staff needed for SMPD to operate its drone responder service, one that is widely regarded as a global leader in this new, rapidly advancing field.
Council will also look to authorize the City to negotiate and execute an agreement with BIG Outdoor for sales, administration, and installation and maintenance of advertising in City-owned parking structures over a five-year period, with two one-year renewal options, with guaranteed minimum revenue of $90,000 dollars in year one, and an increase of 2% per year thereafter.
BIG Outdoors is also one of the companies involved in the on-going digital wayfinding and out-of-home advertising kiosk program.
Finally, Council will look to authorize the City to enter into a license agreement with Cirque du Soleil to use a portion of Lot 1N, located at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway — the surface parking lot directly north of the Pier — from October 1, 2024 to January 24, 2025, a period of approximately 10 weeks.
Cirque du Soleil is a Canadian entertainment company founded in 1984 that produces world-renowned fixed and traveling circus arts shows featuring acrobatic and artistic performances. Cirque first performed next to the Santa Monica Pier in 1987. More recently, Cirque has staged productions in 2009, 2012 and 2014.
