SR-202-001 (77)
\FIN:CMD:\F:\FINANCE\BUDGET\OBBUDREV\0102\Final Changes\Info-Item02.WPD
Council Meeting: June 19, 2001 Santa Monica, California
INFORMATION REPORT
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Staff
SUBJECT: Responses to Questions Raised During Council Study Sessions Concerning
the Proposed FY 2001-02 City Budget
The attached information is provided in response to questions raised during and after the
FY 2001-02 budget study sessions.
Prepared by: Budget Staff
QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL BUDGET STUDY SESSIONS
Planning & Community Development:
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How can the East/West Corridor Parking Study be included in the Department’s priority
list? When would this project be completed?
Staff was asked to evaluate parking solutions for Wilshire, Santa Monica, and Pico
Boulevards and return to Council with estimates of workload in consideration with the
budget and other staff priorities. Staff recommends the Council follow a similar
process to that of the Downtown Parking Task Force. Council could appoint a Task
Force to assist in identification of issues, evaluation of alternatives and
recommendations to the Council. Given the complexity of the problem, the effort would
be guided by a consultant team consisting of parking experts and architects. Staff
recommends the process commence at the conclusion of the Downtown Parking Task
Force work effort, estimated to be complete in fall 2001. Allowing for ample public
participation and outreach, it would take approximately one year to identify alternatives
for Council consideration. After Council approves alternatives, environmental review
could commence.
The estimated cost for the work, not including environmental review, is $150,000. This
is not a budgeted expenditure, and the effort would have to be included in the work
priorities of PCD's Adminstration and Transportation Management staff, to be
established by Council. If the process begins at the conclusion of the Downtown
Parking Task Force, sufficient staff resources will be available to begin the process
without displacing other priorities.
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What would be the impact of creating an interim ordinance for an R1 District for the rest
of the City?
In contrast to the North of Montana ordinance, there is not presently an adequate
record demonstrating the need for an interim ordinance in other single-family
neighborhoods. Establishing such a record will take research, time and community
process. An important part of the community process is to work with neighborhoods so
as to ensure support for new and stricter standards; this was a critical factor in the
success of the North of Montana Ordinance.
The North of Montana R1 Ordinance may not be a good template in other R1
neighborhoods given factors such as differing lot sizes in some neighborhoods and
steep topography in Sunset Park.
Establishing an R1 Interim Ordinance for other neighborhoods would require re-
prioritization of other major projects. Should the City Council desire to advance this
project on the Planning Division’s priority list, and based on the staff most likely to be
invovled, it would be necessary to movethe Historic Preservation Element, the
Environmental for the Pier Ramp and the Child Care/Arts Nexus study to second
quarter, and the Circulation Element and Auto Dealer Standards to the deferred
column.
Community &Cultural Services:
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Why are the Number of Persons Receiving Domestic Violence Services decreasing?
(Page J-34, FY 1999/00 - 701 vs FY 2000/01 and FY 2001/02 – 280 each year)
In FY99-00 (and prior years), the performance measure for "Number of Persons
Receiving Domestic Violence Services" considered (and measured) the number of
persons receiving general DV services through Sojourn and LAFLA/Campion. General
DV services, including ones generating "large output numbers" such as hot line calls to
Sojourn, were funded and measured. In FY00-01, at the start of the new three year
funding cycle, we redirected Sojourn's grant to support a specialized children's DV
program serving only 60 children. Accordingly, we reduced the performance measure
in FY00-01 from 694 to 280.
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City Manager’s Office:
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Research and report back on the status of the computer purchased with community
grant funds and our policy on public access to them.
Computer purchase is an allowable use of City matching funds, as set forth in the
Neighborhood Organization Matching Fund Guidelines. As the organizations are all
volunteer groups, without offices, it is allowable for a computer purchased in part with
City funds to be located in the home office of a board member. The Wilshire-Montana
Neighborhood Organization policy on use of their organization's computer states that 1)
the computer is to be used strictly for business purposes of the organization, 2)
decisions regarding who may use or access it rest with the Executive Committee, and
3) the Executive Committee is responsible for safeguarding sensitive information (such
as membership info) from unauthorized use or disclosure. The computer is currently
housed in the home office of the organization's treasurer and the organization is
looking at a more formal policy statement to address accessibility concerns.
Environmental and Public Works Management:
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What is the time frame for the installation of the worm bin at Santa Monica College?
The College is the lead on this project that has a budget of $60,000-$70,000. The City
(EPWM) has agreed to partially fund the project in the amount of $25,000 and the
College is to secure the remaining funds. The College Foundation has been asked to
provide the necessary funds and plans to complete the project this calendar year.
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When will the contents of the conservation information item be available on the web?
The information item on energy efficiency has been placed on the City's website. It is
available at the Energy Hot Tips Section and with the Council agenda staff report of
5/22/2001.
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When will energy-saving (dark sky) requirements be incorporated into Green Building
Guidelines and brought before Council?
Staff will recommend adding a "dark sky" Green Building Guideline to Council when the
building energy performance standards are amended (probably this summer). The
"dark sky" guideline will explain how and why to shield outdoor lights. The Council will
determine whether the guideline should be preferred or mandatory.
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Big Blue Bus:
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What is the estimated timeframe for offering rapid transit service on Lincoln?
As mentioned at the Council meeting, the potential to offer rapid bus service in Lincoln
Boulevard emerged within the last few weeks. A rationale for this service will be
developed and the Big Blue Bus will present its qualifications to provide the service if
the project proceeds. Since discussions are in the preliminary stages, we do not
anticipate implementation for a couple of years.
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What is the possibility of placing bus schedules in the city parking structures? If it is
possible, by when could this occur?
The Big Blue Bus has budgeted funds in FY02 for a new advertising campaign that
would position the Big Blue Bus as the local shuttle system and the best way to get
around Santa Monica. An element of this campaign can include information
dissemination in the downtown parking structures.
The City is also in the process of installing information kiosks in the parking structures
that can be linked to our bus information system so people will be able to get bus
information as well as downtown business information.
In the interim, the Big Blue Bus will work with Planning & Community Development to
install route information racks in the parking structures by the end of September.
Fire:
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Provide a timeline for making defibrillators more widely available.
The timeline presented represents the Fire Department’s plan to research , develop,
approve and implement an automatic external defibrillator(AED) program in the city. Due
to the medical nature of this program, appropriate planning and consultation with various
city departments must take place prior to implementation. In addition, financial
components such as training and equipment cost, must be identified and secured.
The Fire Department is confident that over the next year, it will develop an AED program
that will provide another level of pre-hospital care for the citizens of Santa Monica.
Attachment A is a timeline to research, develop and implement an Automatic External
Defibrillator (A.E.D.) Program for selected municipal buildings in the City of Santa Monica.
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