Outgoing elected officials Ana Maria Jara, Ted Winterer and Terry O’Day will meet as Santa Monica City Councilmembers for the last time Tuesday, Nov. 24.
City leaders intend to recognize the outgoing councilmembers, along with Mayor Kevin McKeown, immediately after they finish discussing closed session items around 6:30 p.m. Council is then expected to approve the consent calendar, which includes an annual Development Impact Fees report for the fiscal year 2019-2020.
The fees report is currently available online to inform residents about the status of funds that were collected from the City’s development impact fees, which are collected from developers and traditionally used to make investments in child care, transportation, parks, affordable housing and water consumption. The City can also use these funds as grant match dollars to further reduce City costs for larger projects, staff said as they detailed the beginning and ending balance for the various impact fee categories.
With no study session or administrative proceedings planned for Tuesday, Council is then expected to address a proposed ordinance that would help local hotel staff stay in compliance with local safety standards.
“Under the City’s Hotel Worker Safety Ordinance, which was adopted by Council on September 10, 2019, the estimated 2,100 housekeepers working at Santa Monica’s 41 hotels and motels are required to receive live and interactive public housekeeping training and certification. The effective date for the certification requirement is one year after the effective date of the ordinance, after which no hotel employer may employ a housekeeper for more than 120 days without the worker having a valid Public Housekeeping Certificate,” staff said in a report.
Prior to the pandemic, staff was in the process of launching an in-person training program but a modified training program provided in a virtual format in accordance with LA County Department of Public Health COVID-19 protocol is now operational. It could take longer to deliver the equivalent amount of training and certification that originally intended since hotel staff are now working part-time or at a fraction of pre-COVID-19 levels though. As a result, a report states, “staff requests that the effective date for the required public housekeeping certification be extended to June 30, 2022. Staff also requests that the Professional Services Agreement with WED be extended for two one-year options. This will allow WED to complete the training and certification by the extended timeframe.”
The final matter to be taken up by Council next week is to adopt resolutions relating to Water & Wastewater Capital Facility Fees. A public hearing will be held so councilmembers can receive public comment on the matter before approving a Water and Wastewater Capital Facility Fee Study Report. The proposed resolutions, which seek to allow Council to revise the Water and Wastewater Capital Facility Fees that can be charged for any water connection, are expected to be approved shortly after.
To view the full agenda, residents can visit bit.ly/SamoCouncil.
