This Tuesday’s City Council meeting is an usually light affair, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any interesting items on the agenda. At the time of going to press, there were no closed session items listed on the evening’s agenda, something that has frequently caused meetings to sail into the early hours of the morning in the past.
One such item of interest is a request by Councilmember Oscar de la Torre that the City Council discuss Measure G, which will be on the November 2024 ballot. Measure G is a proposed amendment to the LA County Charter to create an elected County Executive, create an independent Ethics Commission, establish a nonpartisan Legislative Analyst, increase the Board of Supervisors from five to nine elected members and finally, require County departments to present annual budgets in public meetings.
The aim, among other things, would be to increase restrictions on lobbying and investigate misconduct, to review proposed County policies and regarding the budget presentations, to use existing funding sources with no additional taxes to implement, as detailed in the charter amendment ordinance. This item is being brought to this meeting by de la Torre as the City’s voting delegate at the Westside Cities Council of Governments (WSCCOG). At its August 8, 2024 board meeting, the WSCCOG received a presentation on Measure G and direction was given to members, to seek direction from their respective governing bodies and return, prepared to discuss and possibly vote to take a position on Measure G at the next board meeting which is scheduled for October 10, 2024.
Another Discussion Item comes at the request of Vice-Mayor Lana Negrete and Councilmember Christine Parra that the City Council allocate up to $2,500 from the Council Discretionary Fund to pay for programming at the Roll at Santa Monica through its scheduled run. Both Negrete and Parra were two of the city’s biggest proponents for this installation. Roll at Santa Monica is located at 1324 5th Street and runs through to October 14 when there will be a three-week break as the crew transform it into the ice rink. Hours of operation are Sundays through Thursdays 12pm to 10pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 12pm to 11pm. Visit the website rollatsantamonica.com for more details.
There is also a public hearing and adoption of resolutions for Amendments to the Land Use and Circulation Element of the General Plan, Bergamot Area Plan and Downtown Community Plan. There will be introduction for the first reading and adoption of an ordinance amending text of the Zoning Ordinance for Phase 2 Implementation of the 6th Cycle (2021-2029) Housing Element. The report provides a summary of changes related to seven Phase 2 Housing
Element programs and highlights two substantive Phase 2 programs. In response to Council’s direction to explore approaches to maximize open space in the Bergamot area, this report presents an open space strategy that seeks to substantially increase open space requirements through revised open space standards. In addition, Council is being asked to consider an optional special process incentive that would allow housing projects on sites over one acre to voluntarily opt into providing specified commitments around dedicated public space and unit mix in exchange for the housing project to be processed through an administrative approval (i.e. no formal public hearing). The special process incentive is a new concept that is not required for Housing Element compliance but is being brought forth to be responsive to Council direction.
Other highlights include the adoption of a resolution to support the Los Angeles County Water Plan, a second reading and adoption of an ordinance amending the City’s Hotel Worker Protection, which could draw substantial public input and a second reading and adoption of an ordinance adding Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 2.32.290 to prohibit acceptance of gratuities by public officials.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
