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sr-011111-13b13- January 11, 2011 Council Meeting: January 11, 2011 Santa Monica, California CITY CLERK'S OFFICE -MEMORANDUM To: City Council From: Councilmember McKeown Date: January 11, 2011 13-B: Request of Councilmember McKeown, on behalf of the boards of Friends of Sunset Park, Mid-City Neighbors, the North of Montana Association, the Ocean Park Association, the Pico Neighborhood Association, the Santa Monica Democratic Club, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights, and the Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition, that the Council direct staff to explore and prepare, for discussion and possible implementation by the Council, policies requiring disclosure by Counci members whose campaign contributors come before the City Council requesting Development Agreements, zaning variances, contracts, franchises, or other special benefits. 13- January 11,.2011 January 4, 2011 To: City Council From: Board of Directors, Friends of Sunset Park RE: Disclosure policy The FOSP Board of Directors urges the City Council to adopt policies that would require disclosure by Council members when contributors to their campaigns come before the Council to request Development Agreements, zoning variances, contracts, franchises, or any other special benefits. Date: January 5, 2011 To: City Manager of Santa Monica & Members of the City Council From: Mid-City Neighbors Board Subject: Disclosure of Campaign Contributions We of the working board of the Mid-City Neighbors feel that it is essential that the City Manager and the City Council call upon staff to come up with measures requiring full disclosure of contributions made to campaigns. Given the last election and the irregularities discovered in campaign literature, we believe our city, in order to move forward with the efficiency required by all the effort made to pass the LUCE, must establish transparency in its proceedings. Not to do so would invite disruption of meefings when development agreements, zoning, and other issues related to businesses and the growth of our city are discussed. We understand that Kevin McKeown is delivering a motion, requesting the Council to take such action. We find the wording of that proposal to be most respectful of his colleagues. We join our voices with his in asking for immediate action on this matter. Most respectfully yours, Gregg Heacock Mid-City Neighbors Member of the Board To City Council: The North of Montana Association {NOMA) is in support of new policies drafted to require disclosure by Council members whose campaign contributors come before City Council requesting Development Agreements, zoning variances, contracts, franchises, or other special benefits. We firmly believe all City Council members should be required to make transparent the funds they have received before voting on matters to which those donations have been involved. There has been increasing unease at the hard to track role of outside money in local public campaigns and we feel the public has a right to know. Thank you for your attention to this very pertinent matter, North of Montana Board of Directors With the recent disclosures of large campaign contributions from developers who will be appearing soon before City Council seeking Development Agreements for their individual projects, the Board of Directors of Ocean Park Association (OPA) fully supports implementation of a proposed policy that would require Council members to disclose campaign contributions from any individual or business entity that comes before Council seeking Development Agreements, Zoning Variances, contracts or other special benefits. In the interest of full transparency, we believe that all City Council members be required to announce that funds have been received, whether in support or donated, before voting on matters in which those who have donated are involved. We do not believe this to be a radical proposal or an infringement on any person or entity's free speech. The public deserves to know. There is precedent-for this action in the requirement that the Planning Commission and other Commissioners disclose their relationships and communications with applicants before their respective Commissions take action. Thank you for your consideration of this critical issue. Ocean Park Association Board of Directors With the recent disclosures of large campaign contributions from developers who will be appearing soon before City Council seeking Development Agreements for their individual projects, Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) thinks it is timely in asking for the City Council to consider increasing the transparency in the decision making process. PNA would fully support implementation of a policy that would require Council members to disclose campaign contributions from any individual or business entity that comes before Council seeking Development Agreements, zoning variances, contracts or other special benefits. In the interest of full transparency, we believe that all City Council members be required to announce that funds have been received, whether in support or donated, before voting on matters in which those who have donated are involved. We do not believe this to be a radical proposal or an infringement on participants free speech. The public deserves to know. There is precedent for this action in the requirement that the Planning Commission and other Commissioners disclose their relationships and communications with applicants before their respective Commissions. Thank you for you consideration of this issue. Wes Thompson Pico Neighborhood Association Co Chair 1 /2!2011 9:43:15 AM Dear Councilmember McKeown: We have observed the increasing community unease with the hard- to-track role of outside money in local political campaigns. Also, that Council's previous efforts at campaign finance transparency have been stymied by court decisions protecting corporate "free speech" in the political process. Thus, the Council's authority to act to improve good-government oversight regarding the influence, nature and source of campaign contributions and possible election distortion efforts is limited. In a effort to create a level playing field for all parties to an item before Council, and concerned of possible perceptions of conflict of interest, unethical or unfair consideration, members of various City Boards and Commissions, including the Planning Commission, publically disclose their relevant relationships and communications with applicants who come before them in quasi-judicial matters and special requests prior to consideration of the matter. Therefore: The Santa Monica Democratic Club Executive Board hereby requests that Council direct staff to prepare, for discussion and possible implementation, apolicy requiring public disclosure by Councilmembers of relevant communications and campaign contributions, prior to consideration of agenda items, regarding Development Agreements, zoning variances, contracts, franchises, or other special benefits. signed: Santa Monica Democratic Club Executive Board President: Jonathan Troen The Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights executive board calls on the city council to enhance disclosure requirements and adopt policies and/or ordinances that require council members to verbally disclose, before the start of any and all public deliberations and considerations, their relationship with campaign contributors who seek development agreements, zoning variances, contracts, franchises, or any other special benefits. While there are certainly existing disclosure requirements, those requirements are cumbersome and burdensome to the electorate and to an open and transparent democratic practice and governance.. Asking council members to verbally disclose their relationship to those individuals, agencies, firms, corporations,. in full public view, before they begin the representative work of the people of Santa Monica will be a great improvement in our democratic process. Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein, Co-Chair Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights Wilmont -Campaign Disclosure January 5, 2011 Article XYII of the Santa Monica City Charter states that Council members may not accept contributions from anyone who has received a valuable benefit as a result of the Council member's affirmative vote. This is the "Oaks Initiative." It does nothing to prevent developers or others from donating to a campaign before requesting a benefit or to require acknowledgement of such donations. It also does nothing to prevent or acknowledge contributions from developers as independent expenditures to slate mailers to benefit specific candidates. The scale of development being proposed in the Bergamot area, coupled with large contributions from developers to sitting Council members, has pointed out this shortcoming in our election law. The LUCE is intended to be a "living document" with monitoring to determine how well its goals are being met. We need transparency in this vital process. As we all know, Santa Monica is a very desirable place to live and to do business. We know and acknowledge that goals of people who sincerely love Santa Monica and want the best for the City will often be in conflict. When it comes to crafting zoning regulations, development agreements, and the ordinances that define how our City operates, our elected City Council members have the final say. Members of the Board of the Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition recognize that campaign donations are protected as free speech. We also recognize that some residents view such contributions as a reason to support a candidate. Indeed, Santa Monicans take a great deal of pride in our lively exchange of ideas. At the same time, we note that members of the Planning Commission and other Commissions are required to disclose the appearance of potential conflicts of interest by requiring disclosure of financial or other interest in items before the Commission. We value this transparency and want the City Council to operate under similar rules. We support the requirement of disclosure by Councilmembers whose campaign contributors come before the City Council requesting Development Agreements, zoning variances, contracts, or other special benefits. We believe that this disclosure should include not only direct contributions to campaigns, but also independent expenditures and contributions made to a slate mailer on behalf of a candidate. Valerie Griffin Chair, Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition