SR-11-D (8)
. CA RLK: SSS : mc
.' Councll Htg. 02-27._
Santa enca, Callfornla
f'
J~/r2.
1/ /)
TO:
Mayor anc Clty CounCl1
FEe 2 7 1970
FROM: Clty Attorney
SUBJECT: Repeal of Sectlon 10104 of the Santa Monlca Municlpal
Code Concernlng Operatlon of Alrcraft over the Clty.
Introductlon
ThlS report transmlts a recommendatlon that the Clty
Councll dlrect the Clty Attorney to prepare an ordlnance repeallng
Sectlon 10104 of the Santa Monlca Municlpal Code. ThlS Sectlon
18 In dlrect confllct wlth a Federal AVlatlon Regulatlon establlsh-
lng mlnlmum altltudes for fllghts over the Clty of Santa Monlca,
and lS unquestlonably lnvalld.
Back<.;rround
Sectlon 10104 for the Santa Hon1ca Hunlclpa1 Code reads
In pertinent part:
"SECTION 10104. OPERATION OF AIRCRAFT
OVER CITY.
No alrcraft shaJl be flown or operated
below the ffilnlmum alr trafflc pattern
a1tltude of 1,000 feet above mean sea
level, except when approachlng a runway
for landlng or whl1e climblng to pattern
altltude after a take-off. No alrcraft
shall be flown or operated In the traf-
flc pattern when the cloud base is re-
ported to be less than 1,000 feet from
mean sea level."
A Federal AVlatlon Admlnlstration Regulatlon, appllcable
to the Santa l10nlca t1uniclpal Alrport, reqUlres alrcraft to malntaln
II/)
FEB 2 7 1979
~
,'CA RLK: SSS : mc
Councll Mtg.
02-27-~
Santa ~lca, Cal1fornla
a mlnlm~ alr trafflC pattern altltude of one thousand (1,000) feet
above the hlghest bUlldlng or other obstructlon In both normal and
unfavorable weather condltlons.
In the case of Santa 110nlca Alrport Assoclatlon vs. Clty
of Santa Monlca, now pendlng ln Unlted States Dlstrlct Court, the
plalntlffs contend that Section 10104 is preempted by Federal Law.
ThlS contentlon lS unquestlonably correct. There lS a dlrect con-
fllCt between thlS Federal Regulatlon and our Code; the Federal
Reaulation lS more restr1ctlve 1n that lt requlres a1rcraft to maln-
tain a h1gher ffi1n1mum alt1tude.
It has been agreed by counsel for all partles In the case
that a consent declaratory Jud~nent to the effect that the Clty'S
regulatlon lS preempted and tllerefore lnvalld lS approprlate. A
partlal Judgment by consent and has been slgned by all counsel and
by the Court. A copy of the Judgment and accompanYlng Hlnute Order
lS attached.
Alternatlve Solutlons
The Clty Councll may take voluntary act20n to lmple~ent
t~e consent Judgment by direct1ng the C1ty Attorney to prepare an
ordinance repeallng Sectlon 10104 of the Santa Monlca Municlpal Code,
or lt may defer act10n untll the end of the current alrport lltlga-
tlon.
Recomrnendatlon
It 15 respectfully recommended that the Clty Council dlrect
the Clty Attorney to prepare an ordlnance repealing Sectlon 10104
of the Santa tbnlca Munlclpal Code.
Prepared By: Rlchard L. Knlckerbocker, Clty Attorney
Stephen Shane Stark, ASslstant Clty Attorney
-2-
1
2
:3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
e
e
LATHAN & WATKINS
Joseph A. Wheelock Jr.
555 South Flower Street
Los Angeles) California 90071
"1',
(213) 485-1234
WALD) HARKRADER & ROSS
Judith Richards Hope
1320 Nineteenth Street, N.W.
Washington. D.C. 20036
E tl.: J;: D
\...: - 9
,....b
,
~79
(202) 296-2121'
CLERK. U.s. DISTRICT COURT
CENTRAL PISTRICT OF CAllfO~
BI ~.
Attorneys for Plaintiffs-Intervenors
National Business Aircraft Association,
Inc. and General Aviation Manufacturers
Association, Inc.
ENTERED
fES 12 1979
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
~
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
CLERK, U S DISIRICI COUftl
lNlRAL OISTRIC( DE CALIFORNIA
OEf'UP'
SANTA MONICA AIRPORT ASSOCIATION, .)
et a1., )
)
Plaintiffs, ) CASE NO. CV 77-2852-IH
't )
vs. )
) PARTIAL JUDG~ffiNT BY
CITY OF SANTA MONICA, a municipal) CONSENT
corporation, PERRY SCOTT, NATHANIEL )
TRIVES, DON~A SWINK, SE~10UR COHEN; )
JOHN BANBRICK, CHRISTINE REED. and )
PIETER Vfu~ DEN STEE~HOVE~, )
)
Defendants. )
)
23 The Pre-Trial Conference Order having been entered
24 herein on January 8. 1979) and the parties hereto having
25 stipulated therein that Section 10104 of the Santa Monica
26 ·
27
28
..~ . W",nuNB
..na Ia LAw
;; AHGIU.U I
___ It
-
.
> .
.
1
2
:5
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
M~~icipal Code 1!d Section 12 of the SantttMonica Municipal
Airport Operations. Safety and Noise-Abatement Regulations.
which establish a minimum flight altitude. are in direct conflict
with a regulation of the Federal Aviation Administration applicabl
to the Santa Monica Municipal Airport which is more restrictive
and that. therefore. such sections are pre-empted by federal law,
IT IS. HEREBY ADJUDGED that Section 10104 of the
Santa Monica Municipal Code and Section 12 of the Santa Monica
Municipal Airport Operations. Safety and Noise-Abatement
Regulations are pre-empted by federal law and are, therefore.
invalid 9fld unenforceable.
~-I?-<-t:t q
Dated. ~Janua I J 1979
IRVma Hl.LL
U..s. District Judge
7!iJt~;4~:.'
18 fRtl"b"ert- N. Cleave-s~
Attorney for Plaintiff
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
n. II: WATKI"'.
~"'nll AT LAw
= AHGIl"u..
LATHAM & WATKINS
Joseph A. \fueelock Jr.
WALD, HARKRADER & ROSS
Judith Richards Hope
By ;Y..~DJc!y,QD~
Joseph A. ~~eelock ~r.
Attorneys for Plaintiffs-
Intervenors
::C(PJj7;;;?~
- -- ,/- - ""'-
1
2
I
~
.
. .
UNen STATES DISTRICT COURT .
CENTRAL DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA
CI'!IL MIN1JTt:S - GENFRAL
ase No.
CV 77-2852-IH
Date.
2/9/79
111("
SANTA MONICA AIRPORT ASSOCIATION v. CITY OF SANTA MONICA
.
)U('I\.I I I \ no
'HJ ~EI\T
nON.
IRVING HILL
. JUDGE
C. R. Kimzey
Deputy Qed:
None present
Court Reporter
\TTOR;,\EYS PI{[SE.'T FOR f)t \l.'\TlFFS
ATTOR:\EYS PRESENT FOR DEFE:\LJA"TS.
None present
None present
ROCEE[)I~GS
Court signs partial judgment by consent lodged 2/5/79. Court notes
statement therein that sections of Municipal Code and Airport Operations
Regulations mentioned therein are preempte1 by federal laws and,
therefore, invalid. Said legal conclusions are accepted by the Court
only because they are part of an agreement between the parties and
without prejudice to a re-examination generally by the Court of the
preemption question.
-\ I II -. ! ; ,;; \1 i I
,\ II \ i \
Inl1,-"I<1 o~ Depuh :'l~11.. ___ _ _ -___
J) -- M