SR-12-17-2013-8A - 700-016ID
City of 16
Santa Monica'
City Council Meeting: December 17, 2013
Agenda Item: 8 °A
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Martin Pastucha, Director of Public Works
Scott Ferguson, Fire Chief
Gigi Decavalles- Hughes, Director of Finance
Subject: Financing options for construction of a new Fire Station No. 1, the Fire
Station No. 3 Seismic Retrofit, and Interim Replacement of the Fire
Training Facility
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the proposal to finance the construction
of a new Fire Station No. 1, the seismic retrofit of Fire Station No. 3 and an interim fire
training facility through a $35 million lease revenue bond and direct staff to:
1. Continue with design of a new Fire Station No. 1.
2. Proceed with the construction document and bidding phases of the Fire Station
No. 3 seismic retrofit.
3. Proceed with the design of the interim replacement of the Fire Training Facility.
4. Return to Council for authorization to issue a lease revenue bond.
Executive Summary
Staff proposes to continue with the design of a new fire station at 1337 -45 7th Street to
replace the existing Fire Station No. 1 at 1444 7th Street. The existing structure is over
55 years old, does not meet current seismic standards for essential buildings and
cannot be upgraded to current codes without compromising current and future service
demands. Staff also proposes to proceed with a seismic retrofit to Fire Station No. 3 at
1302 19th Street, based on the results of a 2013 structural evaluation. Staff proposes to
proceed with the design of the interim replacement of the Fire Training Facility at 2500
Michigan Avenue. Upon Council direction, staff will move forward with the design and
construction of Fire Station No. 1, retrofit of Fire Station 3, and interim replacement of
the Fire Training Facility and the development of a financing plan for these projects.
1
Background
Fire Station No. 1
The existing Fire Station No. 1 was constructed in 1955 and has surpassed its expected
useful life span as an essential services building as defined by the Essential Services
Buildings Seismic Safety Act of 1986. The Fire Station must be able to provide essential
services to the public after a disaster and assure continued operation of the building. On
June 26, 2007, Council authorized staff to execute a contract for a feasibility study for
renovating or rebuilding Fire Station No. 1. This study indicated that the existing facility
is in need of a seismic retrofit, facility upgrades and building improvements in order to
be in compliance with all current codes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) and current staffing requirements. Additional analysis concluded that retrofitting
the existing Fire Station No. 1 structure would reduce the functionality and without
meeting current and future service demands for a fire station that serves Downtown and
the northwestern portion of Santa Monica.
Current conditions in Fire Station No.1 require apparatus to be parked outside the
structure due to lack of space. Staff access to apparatus inside the structure is
compromised by narrow aisles. Additionally, storage for personal protective equipment
and supplies is inadequate.
Seismic upgrades would add wall thickness and additional corridors, further narrowing
the apparatus bays and eliminating at least one bay. A new fire station, on a larger site,
is necessary to support the Fire Department's current and future operating and service
needs.
E
On January 10, 2012, Council authorized staff to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP)
to exchange property for a site suitable for the new Fire Station No. 1. On
August 14, 2012, Council authorized an exchange of City -owned property located at
1338 -42 and 1321 5th Street for property located at 1337 -45 7th Street
("7th Street Property "), which would serve as a replacement site for Fire Station No. 1.
On October 23, 2012, Council adopted a Resolution adopting the Mitigated Negative
Declaration and the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for Fire Station No. 1
Land Exchange.
Staff recommends development of a new 25,000 square foot above -grade fire station to
replace the existing Fire Station No. 1. The proposed new facility could include
subterranean parking for staff personal vehicles, four surface parking spaces for
visitors, seven apparatus bays, staff dormitories, offices and storage requirements for
KI
personal protection equipment. On October 23, 2012, Council authorized a professional
services agreement with Rob Wellington Quigley (RWQ), a California -based company,
in an amount not to exceed $1,770,219 to provide design services for the Fire Station
No. 1 Project.
Fire Station No. 3
In January 2013, the City entered into a professional services agreement with the IDS
Group to provide a structural evaluation for the seismic retrofit of Fire Station No. 3
located at 1302 19th Street. The structural evaluation was completed on May 20, 2013,
and confirms that a retrofit of the station is necessary. The study identified numerous
irregularities and incomplete /deficient structural elements in the building that would not
meet essential services building facility standards. Additionally, the study confirmed that
these deficiencies can be corrected though a seismic retrofit of the existing building. On
July 23, 2013, Council approved a modification to the professional services agreement
with IDS Group in the amount of $64,350 for a total contract amount not to exceed
$92,350 to proceed with the design and construction documentation services for the
seismic retrofit of Fire Station No. 3.
Training Facility
The training facility for the Fire Department is located at 2500 Michigan Avenue at the
City Yards. A burn building and training tower were originally constructed in the mid -
1970s. Two repurposed trailers (one single wide and one triple wide) were delivered in
the mid -1980s and designed to serve 129 staff members. In association with the Los
Angeles Area Fire Chiefs, the City recently installed a grant- funded Smart Classroom in
one of the classrooms designed to enhance communication, education and training
within the region. This classroom is equipped with high -speed internet access and a
control point where training videos can be stored and housed for later viewing allowing
firefighters to view trainings at their convenience.
Although the facility was partially modernized with new technology, it does not offer
other amenities necessary for modern fire management training standards. The facility
lacks sufficient restroom facilities, lighting and HVAC systems. Training rooms are not
flexible and locker and shower facilities are not offered. Also, the training facility lacks
structural stability, and does not meet current ADA requirements
Discussion
Fire Station No. 1
Staff recommends continuing with the design phase of a fire station on the new site at
1337 -45 7th Street, to replace the existing Fire Station No. 1 at 1444 7th Street. It is
imperative the station remain in the downtown area to meet the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) response criteria. The existing fire station was constructed over 55
years ago from wood frame and stucco and has surpassed its expected useful life as an
essential services building as defined by the Essential Services Buildings Seismic
Safety Act of 1986. This act stipulates that buildings providing essential services should
be capable of providing those services after a disaster. Based on the 2007 -08
evaluation, Fire Station No.1 does not meet the current standards of an essential
building. In a seismic event, the existing structure may become unusable including the
apparatus and more importantly, the personnel housed within the building may be
injured, trapped or lost.
A pre- design test fit of a new Fire Station No. 1 station on the 1337 -45 7th Street site
indicates that the new structure could fit up to 50 subterranean parking spaces, seven
apparatus bays (four pull through and three back -in with the capacity for up to nine
apparatus), code mandated personal protective equipment storage and required
maintenance rooms for cleaning, a fueling station, lobby, and community room on the
first floor. Dormitories for each gender, toilets, showers, a kitchen and dining room,
physical fitness, day rooms, and offices for fire fighters and Battalion Chief and Captains
offices would be constructed on the second floor. The cost of this facility would be
approximately $32 million with an anticipated construction start in spring 2016 and
lasting 25 months. Designs would be updated and finalized through the public input
process.
The current Fire Station No. 1 cannot be upgraded to code without compromising
current and future response times. The current call district (service area) require five
apparatus and 14 personnel. The Fire Department is assessing deployment models
based on the impact of the metro light rail, new hotel development in the downtown area
and increasing call volume. Future calls for service demands in upcoming years are
anticipated to increase the facility demands at Fire Station No. 1, requiring up to nine
apparatus and 20 personnel. This anticipated service demand would be within the
capacity of the proposed new station of up to nine apparatus as indicated in the pre -
design test.
Fire Station No. 3
Staff recommends proceeding with the retrofit of Fire Station No. 3 to bring the existing
structure at 1302 19th Street into compliance with current ADA and seismic
standards. The existing station is a two -story, wood frame and stucco structure built in
1971 prior to current seismic building standards.
The Fire Station No. 3 structure has structural irregularities and deficient lateral force
resistance elements that impair its ability to meet the performance objectives of an
essential services building. In addition, the IDS evaluation identified numerous non-
structural deficiencies which impair building operation, may impede firefighter
movements within the building, and may lead to loss of emergency medicine and supply
storage. However, unlike Fire Station No. 1, staff believes that a retrofit can be
completed in a phased manner to correct these deficiencies while mitigating the impact
on operations so that Fire Station No. 3 would remain operational during the retrofit. The
retrofit could be completed at an approximate cost of $1.5 million.
Training Facility
The Fire training facility located at 2500 Michigan Avenue does not meet the needs of a
modern fire department. The interim training facility project would replace the existing
trailers, incorporate sufficient heating and cooling capacity and ADA compliance and
would also integrate modern technology and updated circuits, enabling better
M.
communication and more efficient service while allowing for integration with the
developing City Yards Master Plan. The project would cost an estimated $1.5 million.
Funding Options
The construction cost of a new Fire Station No. 1 facility is estimated at $32 million, the
retrofit of Fire Station No. 3 is estimated at $1.5 million, and the interim replacement of
the training facility is estimated at $1.5 million, for a total need of $35 million. With the
dissolution of redevelopment, the City no longer has the funding on hand to pay for such
a significant investment in capital improvement and must instead consider financing.
Staff considered two financing options — a General Obligation bond and a lease
revenue bond. The cost of debt service on a General Obligation (GO) bond, which
requires a 2/3 voter approval, would be borne by property owners at a rate of
approximately $13 per $100,000 of assessed property value. The debt service of a
lease revenue bond, which requires Council approval, would be borne by the City.
Based on current municipal market yields and the City's bond rating, the debt service on
a 30 -year, $35 million lease revenue bond (including issuance costs) is estimated at
approximately $2.7 million per year.
Results of Voter Survey
On August 27, 2013, Council approved a professional services agreement with
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) to conduct a voter survey on a
potential ballot measure for the 2014 election. Between September 23 and 29, 2013,
FM3 conducted the survey of 477 Santa Monica voters who are likely to vote in the
November 2014 General election. The margin of error for the survey is plus or minus
4.5 percent.
The primary finding is that nearly one half of all voters perceive that the City needs
additional funds. Forty -nine percent of respondents said that the City of Santa Monica
has a great (16 percent) or some need (33 percent) for additional funds to provide the
level of City services that residents need or want. Forty percent reported that that they
7
believe there is little or no need for additional funding. The balance of voters (10
percent) is undecided.
Only a simple majority of voters (51 percent) would support a $78 million public safety
bond measure that would have funded a number of public safety and other
improvements including: updated emergency radio communication equipment and a fire
training and storage facility. In other words, the level of support is well short of the super
majority (66 percent plus 1) needed to pass the measure. City of Santa Monica voters
indicate that if the election were held "today," a slight majority of voters (51 percent)
would either definitely or probably vote yes, or lean toward voting yes, in favor of a
public safety bond. At this time, only 35 percent of voters say they would definitely or
probably vote no on the measure, or lean toward voting no on the measure. A further
fourteen percent are undecided. Even after asking for a lower public safety bond
amount ($48 million), support remained relatively unchanged (52 percent) and
significantly below the super majority requirement.
In spite of the fact that the necessary super majority of voters do not currently support
the public safety bond measure, two- thirds or more consider several of the potential
funding components to be extremely or very important. These items include:
• Protecting the health and safety of Santa Monica residents (73 percent
ExtremelyNery Important)
• Maintaining police, fire, and paramedic emergency response times (72 percent)
• Ensuring all fire stations meet seismic earthquake laws (67 percent)
• Improving 9 -1 -1 emergency training (66 percent)
Based on these results, staff identified Fire Station No. 1, Fire Station No. 3 and the
interim fire training facility as highest priority public safety projects and recommends
funding these projects through a lease revenue bond, with debt service covered by the
General Fund.
n
While the survey primarily focused on ascertaining public opinions on a public safety
measure, questions were also asked about financing the City's affordable housing
program. The results will be more fully discussed at an upcoming housing study session
before Council.
Staff is in the process of updating the financial forecast, which will be presented to
Council on February 11, 2014. The updated forecast will include the additional $2.7
million annual debt service expenditure, as well as updated revenue projections, and
will identify whether, and to what extent, departments must further reduce their budgets
and curtail services beginning in FY 2015 -16 to cover this added expenditure.
Alternatives
Council could direct staff to proceed with a retrofit of the existing Fire Station No. 1
structure at 1444 7t" Street. Staff estimates a timeline of 3 to 4 years for this approach,
assuming no unforeseen conditions at the retrofit or temporary station sites are
encountered. The most recent cost estimates for this work were generated in FY 2007-
08 and are $11 million for the seismic retrofit, some ADA upgrades and the construction
of a temporary station. The actual costs would likely be much higher due to construction
cost escalation over the past 6 years and an updated design that would incorporate
updated building code, other needed improvements and increased service needs of the
downtown core.
A retrofitted Fire Station No. 1 would be unable to serve the current and future
requirements of a central downtown fire station due to the reduction of functional area
throughout the building.
Other Fire Department needs not addressed by a retrofit include:
® Upgrades to information systems which require equipment closets (further
reducing operational space)
® Support for the full programmatic needs of the Fire Department (physical fitness
room, staff service space)
F7
• Severely limited space for future growth for additional services that might be
required of the department in the future including, relocation of the Urban Search
and Rescue, Rescue Ambulances, Command Staff, and additional staffing
• Additional restrooms and dorms required for mixed gender staffing
Next Steps
Dependent upon Council action and approval of the recommended action, staff
anticipates the following project timelines:
Construction of a new Fire Station No. 1:
• Return to Council for review of schematic design — April 2014
• Present design development review to Architectural Review Board, Planning and
Council — October 2014
• Request Council approval to issue lease revenue bonds — summer 2015
• Develop a request for bids for construction and return to Council for authorization
to negotiate and execute a contract — September 2015
• Start of construction — spring 2016
Retrofit of Fire Station No. 3:
• Complete design development and construction documentation phases — May
2014
• Following approval of lease revenue bonds, develop a request for bids for
construction and return to Council for authorization to award a contract — August
2015
• Complete construction — February 2016
Interim replacement of Fire Training Facility:
• Following approval of lease revenue bonds, develop a request for proposal for
pre- design and design services and return to Council for authorization to enter
into a professional services agreement — August 2015
• Complete design development and construction documentation phases —
November 2015
• Develop a request for bids for construction and return to Council for authorization
to award a contract — February 2016
• Start of construction — March 2016
10
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action. Staff will return to Council for approval to issue a lease revenue
bond that is estimated to add $2.7 million in debt service expenditures to the General
Fund budget.
Prepared by: Kate Vernez, Deputy City Manager
Alex Parry, Senior Architect
Approved:
Martin Pastucha
Director of Public Works
roved:
Gi0i Decavalles -Hu
Director of Finance
Attachment: A - Poll Results Memo
Forwarded to Council:
r
Rod Gould
City Manager
11
Public Opinion Research
& Strategy
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3)
RE: Summary of City of Santa Monica Issues 2013 Survey
Date: December 1, 2013
Between September 23`a — 29`h 2013, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3)
conducted a telephone survey of 477 City of Santa Monica voters who are likely to vote in
the November 2014 General Election. The margin of error for the full sample is plus or
minus 4.5 percent; margins of error for subgroups will be higher.1
The three main goals of this survey are to:
(1) Examine general perceptions of the City
(2) Gauge the level of support for a proposed public safety bond measure
(3) Assess support for affordable housing
The key survey findings include:
• A majority of voters consider the City to be headed in the right direction
• About half of all voters perceive the City does not need additional funds
• A majority of voters support a potential Public Safety Bond and many of its
proposed projects, but support for the measure never reaches the supermajority
(66 percent plus 1) required to pass this dedicated measure
• Six -in -ten voters (60 percent) support the City investing funds to ensure there is
additional affordable housing available and that support increases to two- thirds
(66 percent) after learning more about the City's program
' Respondents were given a choice to conduct the survey in English or Spanish.
2425 Colorado Avenue. Suite 180 1999 Harrison Street Suite 1290
Santa Monica, CA 90404 Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (310) 828 -1183 Phone: (510) 451 -9521
Fax: (310) 453 -6562 Fax: (510) 451 -0384
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 2
The balance of this memo provides a detailed summary of the findings.
(1) General Perceptions of the City:
A majority of voters have positive views of where the City is headed
Fifty-nine percent feel that the City of Santa Monica is headed in the right direction and about
one -third (34 percent) perceive that the City is seriously off on the wrong track. Only seven
percent are undecided.
Nearly one half of all voters perceive that the City needs additional funds
Forty-nine percent of respondents said that the City of Santa Monica has a great (16 percent) or
some (33 percent) need for additional funds to provide the level of City services that residents
need or want. Forty percent identified little or no need for additional funding. The balance of
voters (10 percent) are undecided .2
(2) Support for a Public Safety Bond Measure:
Initial /Current level of support
A simple majority of voters (51 percent) initially support a $78 million public safety bond
measure, but the level of support is well short of the supermajority required to pass.
Respondents were initially read the following possible ballot language:
"Shall the City of Santa Monica issue general obligation bonds for use to protect tine health
and safety of Santa Monica residents by maintaining police, fire, and paramedic
emergency response times, improving 9 -1 -1 emergency communication technology and
training, ensuring fire stations meet seismic earthquake laws, and other City
improvements, totaling 78 million dollars, with annual independent financial audits, and
no money going to administrative salaries, pensions or Sacramento ?"
City of Santa Monica voters indicated that if the election was held "today," a slight majority (51
percent) would either definitely or probably vote yes, or lean toward voting yes, in favor of a
public safety bond. At this time, 35 percent of voters would either definitely or probably vote
no, or lean toward voting no on the measure. A further fourteen percent are undecided (see
Figure 1).
2 Note when results do not equal 100% this is due to rounding errors.
Fairbank,
Maslin,
Maullin,
Metz &
Associates;
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey
Figure 1: Vote on the Public Safety Bond
Total yes
Total no
Undecided
Page 3
Reaction to educational and critical statements about the Public Safety Bond Measure
In order to test a variety of Santa Monica voters' opinions (pro and con) about the proposed
Public Safety Bond Measure, the survey presented respondents with a series of both educational
statements describing the need for public safety upgrades and improvements as well as critical
statements suggesting reasons why voters should not vote for the proposed measure.3
Educational Statements
After each educational statement was read, respondents were asked to indicate whether hearing
the educational statements made them more inclined to vote for the measure. Educational
messages that resonated with a sizable majority of Santa Monica voters (60 percent or
more) dealt primarily with structurally unsafe fire stations, outdated public safety
communication equipment, and the need to ensure that public safety officers can continue
to respond quickly to medical emergencies. The above referenced statements are presented in
detail below:
e Structural engineers have determined some of the City fire stations will be severely
damaged during an earthquake, threatening the lives of firefighters and preventing
emergency response. This measure will upgrade outdated fire stations to ensure
firefighters and paramedics can respond to emergencies during an earthquake (65 percent
more inclined to vote yes after hearing this statement).
e Santa Monica's first responders rely on decades old emergency communication
technology. This measure will improve communication technology among firefighters,
the police and paramedics (62 percent more inclined to vote yes after hearing this
statement).
• Sixty -seven percent of all 911 calls to the Santa Monica Fire Department require
emergency medical attention. This measure will provide the resources needed so that
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 4
first responders can continue to respond rapidly to save lives (62 percent more inclined to
vote yes after hearing this statement).
Critical Statements
Voters were also read critical statements and asked to indicate whether hearing the respective
statement would make them more inclined to vote against the measure. The impact of the
critical statements is more modest than the educational statements. While the top educational
messages garnered 62 to 65 percent of voters saying they would be more inclined to vote yes on
the measure, leading critical messages motivated between 44 and 49 percent of respondents to
say they would be more inclined to vote no on the measure. The most influential critical
statements include claims that the City should already have the necessary funds if they
were to cut waste and excessive salaries; the City should not add to its projected deficit;
and Santa Monica residents are already overtaxed. The above mentioned statements are
presented in more detail below:
The City of Santa Monica has enough funds to pay for the proposed public safety projects
without raising residents' taxes by just cutting waste and excessive salaries (49 percent more
inclined to vote no after hearing this statement).
The City projects a deficit of more than $13 million by 2018. Before the City goes into greater
debt by issuing bonds, it should balance its books (47 percent more inclined to vote no after
hearing this statement).
We are already overtaxed. The City has enough funds to pay for the proposed public safety
projects without raising our taxes (44 percent more inclined to vote no after hearing these
statements).
Levels of support after educational and critical statements, respectively
A presentation of educational statements increases initial support for the $78 million Public
Safety Bond Measure to 59 percent, with 33 percent opposed and eight percent remaining
undecided.
After the initial vote in response to the $78 million Public Safety Bond Measure ballot summary
and a reading of educational messages, voters were asked again how they would vote on the
measure if an election were held "today." On the second vote, respondents increased their
support by eight percent, from 51 to 59 percent. Opposition slightly declined by two percent,
from 35 to 33 percent. Finally, the undecided also declined — from 14 to 8 percent, with roughly
six percent moving to the "Yes side" (see Figure 2).
After having heard critical statements toward the $78 million Public Safety Bond Measure,
support for the measure declines from its high point after educational statements (59
percent), to 55 percent. Opposition increases to its peak of 38 percent, and seven percent
remain undecided.
Fairbank,
Maslin,
Mauliin,'
Metz &
'!Associates
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 5
After hearing critical statements, voters were asked one final time how they would vote on the
$78 million Public Safety Bond Measure if an election were held "today." Fifty five percent said
they would vote yes, a decline of four percentage points from the vote after educational
messages. The percentage of voters who report they would vote no increases five percentage
points — 33 percent from the previous ask to 38 percent. The undecided voter percentage
remained largely static, with seven percent unable to decide how they would vote (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Initial Vote on $78 Million Public Safety Bond Measure, Vote after
Educational Statements and Vote after Critical Statements
Total yes
Total no
Undecided
Initial Yote
59% ® 55%
33% 38%
8% 1 7%
6.% eat 0% n% 4M
Support for the Public Safety Bond Measure at different cost scenarios
Lowering the amount of the Public Safety Measure from $78 million to $48 million does not
increase support for the measure to the two- thirds supermajority threshold.
After voters were initially asked how they would vote on the $78 million Public Safety Bond
Measure, they were asked how they would vote if the Bond Measure was for $48 million dollars
instead. They were later asked again how they would vote on the $48 million Bond Measure
after hearing educational and critical statements. In both cases, support for the $48 million Bond
Measure hovered in the mid - fifties, well below the supermajority needed to pass.
Support remains in the 50 percent range when the respective $78 and $48 million bonds are
described in terms of the cost per $100,000 of assessed property value. In the case of the
former bond measure, the cost would be $30 and in the latter case it would be $19.
Fairbank,'
Maslin,
'Maullin'
Metz &
Associates
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 6
Importance of how the Bond funds are spent
Santa Monica voters most value protecting the health and safety of City residents by
maintaining police, fire and paramedic emergency response times as part of any public
safety bond measure.
Among the many public safety goals and facility upgrades and improvements mentioned as part
of a potential bond measure, Santa Monica voters gauged the following five components as
extremely or very important at a rate of between 65 and 73 percent:
• Protecting the health and safety of Santa Monica residents (73 percent Extremely /Very
Important)
• Maintaining police, fire, and paramedic emergency response times (72 percent)
• Ensuring all fire stations meet seismic earthquake laws (67 percent)
• Improving 911 emergency training (66 percent)
• Improving 911 emergency communications technology so emergency departments can
communicate with each other (65 percent)
Less valued public safety - related upgrades and improvements include:
• Building a firefighting training facility for local firefighters (35 percent Extremely /Very
Important)
• Installing traffic congestion management cameras at City intersections (31 percent)
In addition to the aforementioned public safety upgrades and improvements asked about, a
number of other proposed capital /infrastructure projects were also mentioned. While most
public safety features scored close to or above the two - thirds requirement for passage of a
dedicated bond measure, other non - public safety upgrades /improvements are considered
extremely or very important by a much smaller percentage of Santa Monica voters. Lower rated
projects can be grouped into two categories: park and open space - related projects, and others.
The former involves the following:
• Creating more open space and natural areas (46 percent Extremely /Very Important)
• Acquiring additional land to create more open space and natural areas (42 percent)
• Improving City parks and recreation facilities (42 percent)
• Establishing new community parks (33 percent)
• Acquiring additional land for new community parks (33 percent)
Fairbank,
Maslin,
Maullin
Metz & ,
Associates
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 7
Other City capital /infrastructure projects mentioned and their responses are presented below:
• Improving accessibility to City -run facilities for seniors and the disabled (51 percent
Extremely /Very Important)
• Making additional affordable housing available (49 percent)
• Providing additional parking downtown (43 percent)
• Creating express parking signals downtown to inform drivers of open parking spaces to
reduce traffic congestion (40 percent)
• Upgrading and earthquake retrofitting the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (40 percent)
(3) Support for Affordable Housing:
Sixty percent of voters initially support the City of Santa Monica investing funds to
ensure there is additional affordable housing available. After simply hearing the term
"affordable housing," six out of ten voters support the City investing funds to ensure its
expanded availability. Three out of ten voters said they oppose the City investing funds to
ensure additional affordable housing is available; ten percent are undecided.
Respondents were then read the following City- approved description of "affordable
housing:"
"The City makes loans to non-profit developers to build new apartments or
acquire existing buildings that are then fixed up and rented to low - income families
who otherwise could not afford to live in Santa Monica. Low income is defined as
about $69,000 or less per year for a family of four: The individuals who tend to
be helped by this program include seniors, people with disabilities and people
with HIV"
More education about the City's affordable housing program leads to an increase in the
percentage of Santa Monica voters supporting the City investing funds to ensure
additional affordable housing is available. After hearing the aforementioned description of
the term "affordable housing," support for City investment in additional affordable housing
increased by six percent, from 60 to 66 percent. Further, opposition to more additional
affordable housing declined two percent, from 30 to 28 percent, with more information.
Finally, five percent remain undecided (see Figure 3).
Fairbank,
'vlashn,
Maullin,'`
Metz &
Associates:
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 8
Figure 3: Initial Support and Support after Information
on the City Investing Additional Funds
Total support 60% 66%
Total oppose 30% 28%
Undecided IM 10% 1115%
W
Support for a conceptual affordable housing measure
M
While two- thirds of voters support the City investing in additional affordable
housing, mention of a possible affordable housing sales transfer tax increase receives
support from only about 55 to 57 percent of voters at this time.
Voters were asked a conceptual question, rather than a fully developed ballot summary
question, about how they would vote on an affordable housing measure that would
increase the tax for properties sold from $3 per $1,000 of sales to $6 per $1,000 of sales4.
Respondents were told that the revenues raised would go to paying for the City's
affordable housing program. The conceptual measure received support in the mid - fifties
both under a scenario where the increase would only be for homes sold at $1 million
dollars or more (55 percent total yes), and in the case where the increase would only be
for homes sold at $5 million dollars or more (57 percent total yes). In both cases, this
dedicated housing measure would not meet the necessary supermajority vote (see Figure
4). A more developed ballot summary with greater details of the measure may have
garnered greater support.
" Respondents were asked the following conceptual question: "Tile City is considering paying for its
affordable housing program by increasing the tax for properties sold from $3 per $1,000 of sales to $6
per $1,000 of sales. This would apply only to sales of homes valued over ($11$5) million. " A random half
the sample was asked at the $1 million dollar sales threshold and the remaining random sample was asked
at the $5 million dollar sales threshold
Fairbank,
Maslin,
Maullin,
Metz &
Associates!
Summary of the Key Results from the City of Santa Monica Issues Survey Page 9
Figure 4: Vote on Real Property Transfer Tax Measure Vote at One and Five
Million Minimum Sales Threshold
Total yes 55%
Total no 37%
Undecided M 8%
0% 20% 40% 60% 00%
0% 20% 40% E096 80%
Fairbanh,'S
yXaslin,
Maullin,'
Metz &
Associates
Reference:
Attachments Filed with Original
Staff Report 12/17/2013 -8A
Legislative File 700 -008