Consent calendar – Among matters not requiring extensive discussion, Council authorized staff to solicit proposals to rehabilitate or reconstruct the apartment building at 1614-1616 Ocean Avenue and authorized a lease amendment for property at 2640 Main Street related to percentage rent increases and Farmers’ market operations.

Closed Session – Council reviewed a letter from Mr. Shaffer from the Federal Aviation Administration outlining a proposed safety plan. Mr. Shaffer also agreed to present the FAA proposal in person at the regular Council meeting on March 25, 2008. Council voted to delay the second reading for the related ordinance. The proposal is posted at http://www.smgov.net/cmo/FAAproposal3-7-08.pdf

Council also reported a settlement in the amount of $55 million to Baron & Budd, the City’s contingency attorneys with the MtBE case. The City Attorney noted that this came out to a 22% contingency payment.

Discussion of Fire Department Staffing Needs – The Fire Chief presented a report on a multi-year staffing plan to increase staffing by 16 safety and 6 non-safety staff to match increased service needs.

Discussion of Police Department Staffing Needs – The Police Chief presented the results of a one-year analysis of anticipated staffing needs for the five-year period beginning in Fiscal Year 2009/10. The anticipated staffing increasing needs for the period results in an increase by 31 sworn officers and 14 non-sworn to meet the City’s goals of addressing traffic, youth intervention and issues associated with homelessness.

The staffing needs of Police and Fire will be considered within the context of the City’s needs in the May budget discussions.

20th and Cloverfield Concept Design – The City’s contracted design firm, Ahbe Landscape Architects, presented concept designs for 20th Street and Cloverfield Boulevards between Pico Boulevard and I-10. The concept goal was to improve the pedestrian experience within the context of the streets including consideration for bike lanes, increased number of street trees, curb extensions/medians, sidewalks, lighting and other improvements. Council provided input on the design, including, but not limited to, exploring the use of medians, consideration of providing access restrictions, analyzing impacts on traffic and parking, taking consideration of the context of the streets in relation to the neighborhood, consideration of multi-model transportation needs and the use of non-deciduous trees.

Proclamation declaring March 2008 as Women's History Month in the City of Santa Monica – Ana Maria Jara received the proclamation on behalf of the Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women.

Ordinances – Council Introduced for first reading the following ordinances:

• extending, with modifications and clarifications, Interim Ordinance No. 2180 (CCS) modifying the City’s density bonus and affordable housing incentives in accordance with State Density Bonus Law;

• adding Section 9.04.18.075 to the Municipal Code to waive certain development standards for rental units which were built or created without permits and registered with the Santa Monica Rent Control Board;

• amending Section 9.04.10.18.020 of the Municipal Code to clarify that business establishments with alcohol conditional use permits must obtain new alcohol conditional use permits if the establishment ceases operating for a period in excess of one year, or in excess of six months in the CM District;

• an ordinance amending Section 9.04.10.02.340 of the Municipal Code to authorize the placement of furniture, portable landscaping, and cigarette disposal receptacles within the public right-of-way and the display of merchandise in private vestibules, as amended;

• extending an initial interim ordinance clarifying that only one new multi-family construction project is allowed within a five hundred foot radius in the City’s multi-family residential districts. Council extended the expiration of the interim ordinance to December 31, 2008. Council requested staff return with additional information in September 2008.  

Parking Structures 7 and 8 proposed façade improvement; conversion to attendant parking – Council directed staff to proceed with implementation of attendant parking to be consistent with the other downtown parking structures; authorized development of valet parking; provided input on the design elements, including additional attention to the corners and massing, consider a small strip of landscaping adjacent to the structure where there are no retail; direct staff to pursue agreements that assign responsibility of leasing the retail space and construction of the improvements needed for attended parking with Macerich. The contract with Pugh & Scrapa was increased by $240,000 for the completion of schematic design.

Council directed staff to ensure that the level of design detail in parking structures 1 – 6 raises to the level of detail in structures 7 and 8.

Concept Design, modification of Professional Services Agreement for the Bicknell Avenue “Green Street” Project – Council reviewed concept design options for Bicknell Avenue between Neilson Way and Main Street. The design is a grant-funded project that envisions pervious pavement and landscape infiltration strips using drought tolerant plants to clean and treat water runoff. Council requested that the watershed management plan be forwarded to Council for their information.

Other Matters – Council appointed John Ellis to the Architectural Review Board; directed staff to investigate appropriate curb-side charging options for electric vehicles, including chargers in residential neighborhoods installed at property-owner expense and to return to Council with suggested ordinance amendments to allow such installations and directed the City Attorney to prepare an impartial analysis of the effects on the City of Proposition 98 on the June statewide ballot.

The following items were continued:

• Appointments to the Pier Restoration Corporation and Disabilities Commission.

• Request of Councilmember Bobby Shriver, Mayor Herb Katz and Councilmember Bob Holbrook to discuss modifications of Council Rules and procedures; time management and Council agenda management.

• Request by Councilmember Shriver that Council adopt a resolution supporting the “Save Our State Parks” Campaign and urging rejection of proposed State Parks budget cuts. 

ADJOURNMENT AND NEXT MEETING - The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 p.m. in memory of Charlotte Tarbet, Jack Barker, Margo Alofsin and Tulio Filipone.   The next meeting of the Santa Monica City Council is a special meeting on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 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.