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SR 01-22-2019 2A City Council Report City Council Meeting: January 22, 2019 Agenda Item: 2.A 1 of 3 To: Mayor and City Council From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Filling An Unscheduled Vacancy on the City Council Recommended Action Staff recommends that Council either: 1. Consider the applicants that have declared their interest in being appointed to the unscheduled vacancy on the City Council and make an appointment to fill the Council vacancy; 2. Continue the appointment process to a Special Meeting; or 3. Adopt a Resolution Calling a Special Municipal Election to fill the vacancy, and direct staff to return with a second Resolution requesting services and consolidation with the County's November 2019 election. Executive Summary At the January 8, 2019 Council Meeting, Council adopted a resolution declaring former Councilmember Tony Vazquez’s seat vacant. The City Clerk was directed to publish a legal notice for the vacancy and invite online applications of those interested to be presented to the Council at this meeting for possible appointment. 76 applications were received by the 12 p.m. January 17, 2019 deadline. As provided for in Section 603 of the City Charter, should Council fail to fill the vacancy within 30 days of declaring a seat vacant, Council shall call an election to fill the vacancy. Background The California Elections Code 10220 provides that the filing period for any elective office may be no earlier than the 113th day nor later than the 88th day before a municipal election. Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 11.04.180 provides that the City Council may set the date of a special election on an established election date as provided for by the California Elections Code or on any other date as the City Council may select as permitted by law. Additionally, California Elections Code Section 1002 2 of 3 requires that, except as provided in Section 1003, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, all municipal elections shall be held on an established date as set forth in Elections Code Section 1000. For 2019, the two possible elections dates are March 5, 2019 and November 5, 2019. Given the procedural time requirements established by the California Elections Code, it is not possible to comply with those requirements for an election date of March 5, 2019 Accordingly, the next possible election date is November 5, 2019. Discussion 76 applications were received by the deadline set by Council, and of those 76 applicants, 73 met the minimum requirements to serve on the Council, which are to be 18 years of age or older, residents and registered voters of the City of Santa Monica. The list of applicants received by the noon deadline were posted on the city’s website with a disclaimer explaining the timestamp shown on application was the time that the applications were uploaded online, and not the time received. If Council makes an appointment to the vacant seat at this meeting, then the appointee may be sworn in immediately and assume his/her seat, or may be sworn in at the next regularly scheduled meeting on February 12, 2019, and assume the vacant seat at that time, and remain in the Council until the partial-term ends November 2020, absent any earlier special election that may be required in connection with the pending litigation in Pico Neighborhood Association et al. v. City of Santa Monica. If no appointment is made at this meeting, then Council may choose to continue the appointment to a special meeting on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, and/or Tuesday, February 5, 2019. The final option is, if no appointment is made at this meeting, then staff recommends that Council adopt the attached resolution calling a special municipal election to fill the vacancy at the Statewide election on November 5, 2019. Financial Impacts & Budget Actions 3 of 3 Appointment of an applicant to fill the unscheduled vacancy will have no financial impact. If Council does not make an appointment and calls for a special election to fill the vacancy, then the cost of the election to consolidate with the County on their November 5th election is estimated at $881,000. The cost of the consolidated election will be pro-rated by the County amongst participating cities and will depend on the number of cities that are consolidating with the County. Prepared By: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk Approved Forwarded to Council Attachments: A. January 8, 2019 Council staff report B. California Elections Code 10220 C. California Elections Code 14052 D. Reso - Clerk - Special Election to FIll Vacancy - 01.22.2019 E. Council Worksheet F. Council - Application List G. Written Comments City Council Meeting: January 22, 2019 Santa Monica, California RESOLUTION NUMBER ___ (CCS) (City Council Series) A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA CALLING FOR THE HOLDING OF A SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION ON NOVEMBER 5, 2019, FOR THE ELECTION OF A CITY COUNCILMEMBER TO FILL A VACANCY AS REQUIRED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA RELATING TO CHARTER CITIES WHEREAS, a vacancy in the office of the City Council was created by the resignation of Councilmember Tony Vasquez on January 7, 2019; and WHEREAS, the term of the office in which the vacancy occurs ends in November 2020; NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. That, pursuant to Santa Monica Municipal Code Section 11.04.180, the City Council is authorized to set the date of a special election by resolution and may set the date of a special election on an established election date as provided for by the California Elections Code or on any other date as the City Council may select as permitted by law. SECTION 2. That California Elections Code Section 1002 requires that, except as provided in Section 1003, notwithstanding any other provisions of law, all municipal elections shall be held on an established date; that none of the exceptions set forth in California Elections Code Section 1003 apply. SECTION 3. That pursuant to the requirements of the laws of the State of California and the City of Santa Monica, there is called and ordered to be held in the City of Santa Monica, California, on November 5, 2019, a Special Municipal Election for the purpose of filling a vacancy on the City Council which was created by the resignation of Councilmember Tony Vasquez. The person elected shall serve through the remainder of the term which expires in November 2020. SECTION 4. That in all particulars not recited in this resolution, the election shall be held and conducted as provided by law for holding municipal elections. SECTION 5. That notice of the time and place of holding the election is given and the City Clerk is authorized, instructed and directed to give further or additional notice of the election, in time, form and manner as required by law. SECTION 6. That the City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions. APPROVED AS TO FORM: __ LANE DILG CITY ATTORNEY 2-A January 22, 2019 SPECIAL VACANCY APPOINTMENT WORKSHEET 2-A January 22, 2019 CITY COUNCIL TERM ENDING SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED Unscheduled Vacancy (Tony Vazquez – resignation accepted on 1/8/2019) 11/03/2020 Must be residents and registered voters of the City of Santa Monica. *Not a Registered Voter in Santa Monica City of Santa Monica Board and Commissions Applicants City Council Patrick J. Acosta II 1/17/2019 Stephen F. Beauregard 1/11/2019 Edward E. Borgwardt 1/17/2019 Paige L. Brogan 1/11/2019 Robb N. Brown 1/17/2019 Andrew H. Browning 1/14/2019 Susan C. Caruso 1/10/2019 Keith Coleman 1/17/2019 Nancy M. Coleman 1/17/2019 Katherine M.Y. Czer 1/14/2019 Shari L. Davis 1/17/2019 Oscar de la Torre 1/17/2019 Derek Devermont 1/15/2019 Paul Fauntleroy 1/11/2019 Michael Feinstein 1/17/2019 Albin R. Gielicz 1/14/2019 Ron Gilbert 1/11/2019 Eddie A. Guerboian 1/14/2019 Troy M. Harris 1/10/2019 Dava D. Hart 1/17/2019 Holly Heath 1/17/2019 Monique M. Hitzman 1/11/2019 Danica Hoff 1/16/2019 Kenneth J. Hoffer MD 1/14/2019 Mark Jaffe 1/17/2019 Kirsten James 1/17/2019 Ana M Jara 1/17/2019 Nathaniel I Jones JR 1/14/2019 Benjamin Kay 1/11/2019 Jennifer Kennedy 1/17/2019 Jason Kong 1/17/2019 Name Application Date *Not a Registered Voter in Santa Monica Name Application Date Robert J. Kronovet 1/10/2019 Judy L. Kruger 1/11/2019 Todd P. Leavitt 1/11/2019 Maria Leon-Vazquez 1/17/2019 Mark S. Levenberg 1/16/2019 Marc Lewis 1/17/2019 Benjamin Liwnicz 1/17/2019 Jonathan L. Mann 1/10/2019 Mary L. Marlow 1/17/2019 Melanie A. Martin 1/17/2019 Anthony Maximous 1/11/2019 Richard McKinnon 1/17/2019 Dorothy F. Menzies 1/17/2019 Evan Meyer 1/17/2019 Marshall G. Mintz 1/14/2019 Jeff Mirkin 1/10/2019 Geoffrey Neri 1/17/2019 Gary S. Nuell 1/11/2019 Bradford Owen 1/11/2019 Wendy Paris 1/14/2019 Jason Parry 1/17/2019 Guthrie Paterson 1/17/2019 Gerald Rakfeldt 1/17/2019 Patrick Regan 1/11/2019 Kenneth R. Robin 1/17/2019 Leo Rodriguez 1/16/2019 Maria Elena Rodriguez 1/17/2019 Mary A. Saber 1/11/2019 Valerie Sapron 1/11/2019 Korie Schmidt 1/15/2019 Alisa L. Smith 1/11/2019 Barry A. Snell 1/17/2019 Brian Lamarr Stewart Jr 1/16/2019 Jodi Summers 1/14/2019 Richard Swartz 1/11/2019 Peter R. Taffae 1/11/2019 Mahshid Tarazi 1/11/2019 Caroline M. Torosis 1/17/2019 *Not a Registered Voter in Santa Monica Name Application Date Isaac K. Tucker 1/17/2019 Steven Ulman 1/14/2019 Elizabeth Van Denburgh 1/17/2019 Liliana Viamari 1/17/2019 Josh T. Walters 1/16/2019 Marina V. Zdobnova 1/14/2019 Natalya Zernitskaya 1/14/2019 Total Number of Applicants: 76 STEERING COMMITTEE & ADVISORS mark armour victor fresco diana gordon dan jansenson sherrill kushner mary marlow bea nemlaha jacob samuel lorraine sanchez susan scarafia jeff segal carol sobel maryanne solomon doris sosin linda sullivan peter tigler bill zimmerman January 11, 2019 TO: Mayor Davis and City Council FROM: Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) RE: Criteria for Councilmember Appointment As our City Council, you are about to appoint a Council member. With the power of incumbency, that person will have a considerable advantage in being re-elected, even with district elections. The appointee must possess honesty, integrity, intelligence, a high degree of competence, a belief in transparency and a love of our city. While an election would be preferable, this is an opportunity to appoint someone who also meets the critical criteria SMCLC sets out below. 1.Diverse replacement: With Tony Vazquez leaving, the Council very much needs a diverse replacement. If the Council were to appoint a non-ethnically- diverse candidate, it would be without any ethnic diversity. If it were to appoint a male, it would be over 70% male (5 of 7). This in a city that’s over 25% ethnically diverse and more than 50% female. While we are celebrating our Congress and other bodies becoming more inclusive, our City Council is in danger of heading in the opposite direction. 2.Proven history of resident advocacy: There is an increasing disconnect between City government and residents, with 71% believing they don’t have influence over City decisions. An equally overwhelming 74% just voted for Council Term Limits over the fierce opposition of most Councilmembers. Given this, it is extremely important to appoint someone who has a proven history of advocating for residents and acting on their concerns. The Council needs to take note of these alarming statistics and discontinue business as usual with this key appointment. According to the City’s own Wellness survey: “Fewer than three in every ten residents (29 per cent) report feeling they have influence on decisions in Santa Monica.” Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 3. Proven history of concern for overdevelopment and the importance of our City being livable and affordable: Residents are confronted with a constant drumbeat of new luxury hotels and ultra-expensive apartments, with long-time small businesses being driven out, with City-owned land being proposed for private development instead of a needed public park and with terrible traffic set to increase substantially with each new development. The new appointee will vote on major hotel projects on Ocean Avenue and a proposed massive private luxury development with a hotel on City-owned land at 4th and Arizona. She or he needs to be someone with a demonstrable history of concern for, and activity around, these kinds of development, an understanding of the Council’s duties as the steward of public land and a passion for a more livable city. 4. A candidate who has pledged not to accept developer money and to rebuke support from developer funded PACS: With developer-backed PAC money dominating our elections, it is vital that the appointee be someone who has not only pledged not to accept developer donations directly, but will also refuse to seek developer PAC money and, if their support is given anyway, publicly rebuke it. Developer PAC money, now cleverly masquerading as progressive, which it is not, distorts our elections and democratic processes. 5. Willingness to hold the City Hall to account and control the increasing budget: City employees work hard and do good work. There is much to be proud of. But even when serious mistakes are made there is often little accountability and our growing budget has spiraled out of control. One of the reasons that City Hall pushes overdevelopment and is becoming too tourist-centric is that it needs ever more money to balance the sharply increasing budget and to pay mounting pensions. The new Council appointee needs to show an understanding of these difficult problems and a willingness to take them on, not push them downstream. ### Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 VIA EMAIL January 21, 2019 To the Santa Monica City Council: Mayor Gleam Davis, Mayor Pro Tempore Terry O’Day, Council Member Kevin McKeown, Council Member Sue Himmelrich, Council Member Ted Winterer, and Council Member Greg Morena Dear City Council Members, As you are considering the many applicants for the vacated Council seat, I too have imagined myself in your shoes to come up with what I believe is important to keep in mind to arrive at a best decision. To preface my rationale, I am not in favor of dividing our city into electoral districts because it is a tribalistic step backward and conveys the regressive message that our leaders are incapable of safeguarding the wellbeing of all [Santa Monicans] by simply using an equity lens to focus extra attention to (geographical) areas needing it. I do not think 7 individuals should primarily concern themselves each with their 1 district, because that implies each of the 7 areas has equally pressing needs and I see that as equality working against equity. My point being, I expect all 7 of you to care most for 90404 – the Pico neighborhood - since it has distinguished itself across several data points as our area of greatest need. While I want all of you to focus on it, you will greatly benefit from a Council Member who has long and deep lived experience there. So, I would sort the applicant pool using that as my first filter. While there may be more than one applicant who has cared for and served there, I have personally observed only two. My observations and involvement with the two individuals include: several months at Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) meetings, weekly Familias Latinas Unidas (FLU) meetings, and a variety of community events at Virginia Avenue Park (e.g., Committee for Racial Justice meetings, Las Posadas and other holidays and cultural events, the City’s Pico Wellbeing Project meetings), events at City Hall, and several SMMUSD Board meetings. Based on those, I would easily select Ana Maria Jara as the clear best choice. For 1-1/2 years I have seen Ana Jara approximately weekly at Friday evening FLU meetings. This group is uniquely wonderful in so many ways that there is no room to describe in today’s letter, but Ana Jara’s humble yet passionate comportment there stands out. She is both vivacious and deeply serious about what matters. Her care for others is evident in her demeanor – she is genuinely warm. I have absolutely no doubt that she selflessly acts on her convictions, and only after carefully determining how it would be in the best interest of others. Serving her community is her sole motivation, her calling really. And as she has been an incredible asset volunteering in the spheres in which I have come to know and love her, her application for the current Council seat further shows the breadth of her administrative and committee experience, serving alongside others. You will find Ana Jara brings invaluable qualities of character to the challenging issues before you. Finally, I look forward to a more diverse Council, be cause I see this as a vital factor when hiring and even though you are appointing you can here too model this best practice. Sincerely, Laila Taslimi, Santa Monica resident and educator Item 2-A 01/22/19 3 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Monday January 21, 2019 Re: Ana Maria Jara I’ve had the pleasure of knowing lovely Ana Jara for over 20 years now. I went to High school with one of her daughters and from the first time I met her I felt like I can call her mom! I got to really know her at St. Anne’s church! She and her daughters were very involved, as they are in the Community. She was always the one trying to engage everyone from the youth to the church elders to get involved in building our St. Anne’s community. She has the heart of gold! When I look at her I see our community mom!! Has always opened her home to everyone! As a long time renter she understand the stresses so many of us face with the increased rental market. As a single mother I value the commitment Ana has shown to her family but that of the young people of our city. She will bring her real life experiences to make informed decisions and bring solutions that have a real impact. . We need someone who has worked from the ground up on building our Santa Monica community. Please appoint Ana M. Jara for the vacancy on the city council. Sincerely, Veronica Jauregui 1413 18th St. # H , Santa Monica, CA 90404 310 433-9909 Vero2268@yahoo.com Item 2-A 01/22/19 4 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 William B. Parent 1011 Euclid Street D Santa Monica, CA 90403 January 21, 2019 Dear Councilmembers: I am writing to offer an enthusiastic endorsement for the candidacy of my colleague Ana Maria Jara for the open seat on the Santa Monica City Council. Ana is currently vice chair of the Social Services Commission. As chair, I can assure you that Ana is extremely knowledgeable and experienced in the most pressing challenges facing Santa Monica: housing, homelessness, policing, and education. Her dedication to Santa Monica and her perspective from the Pico neighborhood have been especially valuable to the Commission. Ana and I have also worked directly together on ad hoc committees for the Commission. She and I prepared the Commission’s response to the 2018 Staff Report on Homelessness to the City Council as well as a report on questions and concerns the Commission submitted as input to the 2019 report. Ana Jara is straightforward. She has sound judgment. She is willing to push when pushing is called for. She shows understanding and patience when understanding and patience are needed. She is also knowledgeable and savvy to the procedures of city government. She is, in fact, the Social Service Commission’s informal “parliamentarian” who has rescued us (me) more than once by knowing the right action at the right time, keeping us focused on what we are working to achieve. Most of all, she brings a wide range of Santa Monica experience though her work with the Human Relations Council, Familias Latinas Unidos, Cradle to Career, the Social Services Commission, the Commission for the Status of Women, and her dedication to neighborhood organizations and initiatives. Over the years, Ana Jara’s list of volunteer activities rivals any in the City. I first noticed her, in fact, years ago on the sidelines of Boys and Girls Club basketball games. Item 2-A 01/22/19 5 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Ana Jara has earned this unique consideration to serve on the City Council. I endorse her candidacy without reservation, except that we will miss her leadership on the Social Services Commission. Sincerely, Bill Parent 1011 Euclid Street Santa Monica, CA 90403 310-968-0147 Item 2-A 01/22/19 6 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:23 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: recommendation for council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Joan Klein [mailto:joanieklein@icloud.com]   Sent: Monday, January 21, 2019 1:28 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: recommendation for council  Dear Council Members, I am pleased to write a letter of recommendation for Judy Kruger for a seat on the city council which is available due to Tony Vasquez’ resignation. I am a longtime resident and have taught in SMMUSD for over twenty years before my retirement. I am very impressed with Judy’s knowledge about issues concerning homelessness, transportation, and infrastructure within our city. Her desire to enhance the quality of life in Santa Monica is evident as she always manages to foster positive discussions about community events and inspires neighbors to become informed and participate. Judy is well liked and respected within our community. I believe Judy would be a fantastic addition to our city council. Sincerely, Joan Klein Item 2-A 01/22/19 7 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Mayor Gleam Davis January 17, 2019 Mayor Pro Tempore Terry O'Day Councilmember Sue Himmelrich Councilmember Kevin McKeown Councilmember Greg Morena Councilmember Ted Winterer Dear Members of the Santa Monica City Council: We are residents of Ocean Park and we would like you to consider Evan Meyer to fill the empty position left by Tony Vazquez. Evan lives in Ocean Park and is actively involved in our Santa Monica community. He is the President of the Ocean Park Association and has actively served the organization for seven years. He has clearly displayed his knowledge, deep interest, and effectiveness in bettering our community, as well as achieved results through action. The organization is running beautifully under his leadership. Evan’s ability to maintain civility in rough times is remarkable and this is directly transferable to the job of City Council member. He understands how to resolve differing perspectives and cool heated debates by creating common ground, a great talent. Evan is the Founder, and Chief Operating Officer at RideAmigos.com, a software platform that reduces traffic by empowering governments and organizations with motivational tools and commuter benefits. This is a business he started from scratch and grew to an international success. His business skills will help him make prudent and wise decisions on the City Council and optimize how our taxpayer dollars are spent, and a traffic expert on the Council would be a bonus. Additionally, he's a tech guru, another ability that would complement the collective proficiencies of the seated members of the Council. Evan is also the Founder and Executive Director of the 501(c)3 nonprofit BeautifyEarth.org, which started in Santa Monica as "Beautify Lincoln" to transform Lincoln Blvd through art. Evan has worked hard to make our community and schools safer and more attractive, improving every major thoroughfare in Santa Monica with almost 100 murals. We all enjoy these murals and it’s heartening to know that Evan volunteered all his time and effort. Few people give back to the community the way Evan does with his own time and money. Importantly, Evan has encouraged us, his neighbors, to become more actively involved in our community. Many of us now attend community meetings at the library and to help address neighborhood issues with our community Police. Evan’s attitude is contagious, and it is important to have someone who can relate to residents, businesses, and government individually and holistically. Item 2-A 01/22/19 8 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Evan Meyer has energy, intelligence, charisma and patience – perfect characteristics for a public official. Evan will make a great member of the Santa Monica City Council and we look forward seeing him join you in the Council Chambers. Sincerely Mark Flaisher Additional Supporters: Sarah Selders Maria Wilson Cristihan Gutterre 230 Pacific Street Apartments Santa Monica, CA 90405 Item 2-A 01/22/19 9 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:23 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Ted Winterer; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Support Ana Jara for City Council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Irene Zivi [mailto:irene.zivi@gmail.com]   Sent: Monday, January 21, 2019 9:56 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Support Ana Jara for City Council  To the Santa Monica City Council: I write to you from Portland Oregon where we live in a Retirement Community after living 39 years in the great Community of Santa Monica CA. I read the Santa Monica local papers and have learned that you are making an appointment to the City Council for the seat vacated by Councilmember Tony Vazquez. I would like to urge you to support Ana Jara for the open Council seat. I have known Ana Jara for many years as a thoughtful, compassionate, resident of the Pico Neighborhood. You have a true opportunity to appoint a Latina woman who has worked for years to help her neighbors and anyone else who had the good fortune to know her. Ana Jara has served Santa Monica as a champion for vulnerable youth and families in so many ways for so long. Now is the time to support Ana Jara for City Council and allow her to serve the whole Santa Monica Community. Best to all of you, Irene (and Sam) Zivi Item 2-A 01/22/19 10 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:24 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Support for Richard McKinnon for City Council Appointment Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Alison Kendall [mailto:alison@kendallplanning.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2019 7:32 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Support for Richard McKinnon for City Council Appointment  Dear Mayor and SM Councilmembers. I'm writing to support the application of Richard McKinnon for the vacant Council seat. Richard has contributed enormously to our community through his work on the Parks + Recreation Commission and the Planning Commission. His creativity, commitment to sustainability, and well developed sense of how to set challenging and inspiring goals, has helped Santa Monica achieve greater policy coherence. We are all inspired by his expertise, and his dedication to public service, as seen by his many hours of service. Richard's experience in working with administrative bureaucracies is an outstanding asset. Richard has been a candidate in a past election and was able to receive an impressive number votes. Richard is articulate, intelligent and a creative leader for a community which demands these qualities. He is an exceptionally persuasive speaker as well. I believe his talent, combined with the expertise and experience we all know well, will be a great asset for the City Council. These qualities will be very helpful when you look at the larger the political landscape, where the ability of one voice to bring our community together is in high demand. In electing Richard to the Council, you would add a eloquent voice that has a special value in a community that is longing for voices which can bring us together. Richard will be a very valuable member of Council. Many of the local community leaders who have worked with him, as I have along with many others, will support his selection. Thank you for the work you are doing on behalf of our community, and thank you for your consideration of Richard McKinnon for City Council appointment. Sincerely, Item 2-A 01/22/19 11 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 Alison Kendall, Architect/Planner 2502 California Avenue, Santa Monica 90403 Santa Monica Business owner,and Resident for 16+years -- Alison Kendall, Architect, LEED AP BD+C, AICP KENDALL PLANNING + DESIGN 310.586.1557 office phone alison@kendallplanning.com Item 2-A 01/22/19 12 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:24 AM To:Gleam Davis; Ted Winterer; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Greg Morena Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Evan Meyer Recommendation Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Hunter Hall [mailto:hunter@mainstreetsm.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2019 5:27 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Evan Meyer Recommendation  Dear City Councilmembers, I’ve known Evan Meyer for some time now in my role as Executive Director of the Main St. Business Improvement Association. I enjoyed working with him while he was the president of the Ocean Park Association and he was instrumental in formalizing our partnership and in the launch of our rewards card program (mainstreetsm.com/rewards). The council, Main St, and Santa Monica would greatly benefit from his fresh approach and zeal for the community as well as his expertise in technology, which is every day becoming a larger part of our communities future. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions. Hunter G. Hall Executive Director Main Street Business Improvement Association 314.323.4663 Hunter@MainStreetSM.com Item 2-A 01/22/19 13 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:25 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Ted Winterer; Greg Morena Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: In support of the application of Richard McKinnon Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Dr Michael Cahn [mailto:velocipedus@gmail.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2019 2:27 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: In support of the application of Richard McKinnon  Dear Mayor, dear members of the council. I want to support the application of Richard McKinnon for the vacant council seat. Because of his work in the parks and in the planning commission, you are well aware of his work, his expertise, and his dedication to public service. Richard thinks of himself as a changemaker. His experience in working with administrative bureaucracies is an outstanding asset. Richard has been a candidate in a past election and was able to receive an impressive number votes. In my own academic work I have studied the history of rhetoric and eloquence. I am always impressed how well he can perform as a public speaker. He is very articulate, he has a voice and a personality who can take his audience with him as only few people can. I believe this talent, combined with the expertise and experience you all know well, will be a great asset for the council. I can easily imagine him as the mayor of our city. These qualities will be very helpful when you look at the larger the political landscape, where the ability of one voice to bring our community together is in high demand. In electing Richard to the council, you would add a eloquent voice to the Dais that has a special value in a community that is longing for voices which can bring us together. Richard does have this ability, and I am convinced that he will be a very valuable member of council. Thank you very much for the work you are doing on behalf of our community, and thank you for your consideration! -- Dr Michael Cahn Item 2-A 01/22/19 14 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:25 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Ana Maria Jara for appointment to City Council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Melinda Sanchez [mailto:melinda.g.sanchez@gmail.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2019 11:21 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Ana Maria Jara for appointment to City Council  Dear Council members, Although a lifelong resident I have never really gotten involved in local politics. This is actually my first email to you. I know that representation is important and I believe that we need to be thoughtful about who we choose as our representatives. You have a unique opportunity to appoint someone who is truly a different kind of leader to our City Council. I believe Ana Maria Jara is the right choice for representation at this time because she is 1. A consensus builder 2. A passionate advocate for inclusion 3. Committed to building others Please appoint Ana Maria Jara for the vacant City Council seat. Sincerely, Melinda Sanchez Resident at 2605 31st Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 for 30 years. Sent from my iPhone Item 2-A 01/22/19 15 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:25 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Ana Maria Jara for appointment to SM City Council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Sheila Banani [mailto:sheila@sheilabanani.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 20, 2019 11:29 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Ana Maria Jara for appointment to SM City Council  Santa Monica City Council Honorable Members, As a long-time resident of Santa Monica (our family has lived here for over 50 years, since purchasing our first home in 1966), one-time faculty member at Santa Monica College, and former member of the Santa Monica Recreation & Parks Commission (1976-1980), I recommend Ana Maria Jara for appointment to the Santa Monica City Council. I know Ana Jara as a fellow member and colleague serving together as volunteers on the Santa Monica Human Relations Council. She is much admired and appreciated for her years of community service in our City. She is a model of civic engagement for both veteran residents as well as newcomers to Santa Monica. She will bring her bridge-building perspective to the City Council's deliberations. Sincerely, Sheila Banani 535 Ocean Avenue, Unit 3-D Santa Monica, CA 90402 Item 2-A 01/22/19 16 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:26 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Judy Kruger. Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie    ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐  From: russellaklein@aol.com [mailto:russellaklein@aol.com]   Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2019 9:44 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Judy Kruger.     This note is to support Judy Kruger’s application for appointment to the Santa Monica city council. I have known Judy for  over a year and have found her to be intelligent, thoughtful, and gifted in the lost art of common sense. She apparently  is very experienced in city planning and I believe would be an invaluable addition to our city counsel.                          Sincerely,                   Russell A Klein MD FACP                   Associate Clinical Professor of                    Medicine                    David Geffen                     School of Medicine                    UCLA, California   Item 2-A 01/22/19 17 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 January 19, 2019 City of Santa Monica 1685 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 Re: Richard McKinnon for City Council Dear Santa Monica City Council, I am writing to express our endorsement and recommendation for the selection of Richard McKinnon as a member of the Santa Monica City Council. My wife and I have been Santa Monica residents for almost 10 years. During this time we have had many engagements on various city matters including residential and commercial projects that have involved dealings across a range of different city departments. In all of our engagements, we have found Richard to be especially distinguished as an exceptional member of the civil service who demonstrates fairness, clear thinking and dedication to what makes Santa Monica special. In addition to these desired personal qualities, his extensive experience on the Planning Commission is directly relevant to the interests of all Santa Monica residents and businesses. We strongly feel an appointment of Richard as a member of the Santa Monica City Council would only enhance the stewardship and future of our ‘happy city’. Yours sincerely, Thao and Sherman Ma Item 2-A 01/22/19 18 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:32 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Richard McKinnon Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Mike Bone [mailto:mikebone9@gmail.com]   Sent: Friday, January 18, 2019 12:25 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Richard McKinnon  Greetings all, I have known Richard for over 10 years. I worked on his campaign for City Council. I know him to be an honorable person. Richard has worked for the city of Santa Monica in various roles over the years. He has paid his dues. He is a planning commissioner now and was formerly a Parks and Recreation Commissioner. Of all the people I see on the list looking for appointment to the Council, Richard is by far the most qualified. Please appoint him to Council. He deserves it and more importantly, he will do a GREAT job. Mike Bone mikebone9@gmail.com mobile 310 795 3231 “Neglected opportunities do not, as a rule, return.” Item 2-A 01/22/19 19 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:32 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Richard McKinnon Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie    ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐  From: Amara Teresa Hastings [mailto:amarahastings@gmail.com]   Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019 7:36 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Richard McKinnon    Hello, I am writing in full support of Richard McKinnon for City Council. He is smart, caring and a visionary who I know he  would make a great council member. I hope he is appointed.     Best,  Amara Hastings  713 Georgina Ave.   Santa Monica, CA 90402  Item 2-A 01/22/19 20 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 MARC MORGENSTERN 125 Pacific St. #7 Santa Monica, CA 90405 January 16, 2019 Mayor Gleam Davis Mayor Pro Tempore Terry O'Day Councilmember Sue Himmelrich Councilmember Kevin McKeown Councilmember Greg Morena Councilmember Ted Winterer Dear Members of the Santa Monica City Council: I write to you in support of Evan Meyer, an applicant for the vacant City Council position. From his application, you are well-informed about his extensive contributions to the entire Santa Monica community and his diverse qualifications. I would like speak about his character and approach. As a neighbor and colleague on the Ocean Park Association, I know that Evan brings a level of civility, humanity, and emotional intelligence that will benefit the City Council and the city as a whole in these turbulent times. With difficult decisions to be made about the upcoming budget and fractious issues such as homelessness, crime, development and traffic/mobility, he will provide a positive and constructive attitude—not to mention innovation—in solving problems. He is as much about how we proceed as a city as much as where or what. By that, I mean embracing people’s best intentions, cherishing our institutions, and facilitating open and productive conversation. We want to be one city, united in finding the best ways forward together, when there are no perfect ways. Evan’s decency, passion, creativity and attitude make him the right person at the right time to fill this critical position. Sincerely yours, (signed) Item 2-A 01/22/19 21 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Marc Morgenstern Item 2-A 01/22/19 22 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:35 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Richard McKinnon Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie    ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐  From: Meyera Robbins [mailto:meyera@icloud.com]   Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2019 10:18 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Richard McKinnon    Friends,   I have already sent a letter to you recommending Richard for the vacant seat on City Council, but I am following up with  a second letter after last nights Planning Commission.  There was a very lengthy discussion which lasted until 12:30am.  Richard was able to draw reasonable conclusions which satisfied all parties.  He was the voice of compromise and reason which enabled everyone to feel comfortable... and to go home!  Richard is ready to assume the seat on day one.  He will be an asset to an already extremely qualified City Council.  Thank you so much,  Meyera    Sent from my iPhone  Item 2-A 01/22/19 23 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:36 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Richard McKinnon Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Meyera Robbins [mailto:meyera@icloud.com]   Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 3:50 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Fwd: Richard McKinnon  Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Meyera Robbins <meyera@icloud.com> Date: January 15, 2019 at 2:54:53 PM PST To: citycouncil@smgov.net Subject: Richard McKinnon Dear friends, I’m in an enviable position to know so many qualified candidates for City Council to fill Tony’s seat. You are all familiar with Richard McKinnon who is super qualified and ready to go on day 1. I’ve known Richard and worked with Richard for years. Please give his application a special thought! Just for me! Thanks, Meyera Sent from my iPhone Item 2-A 01/22/19 24 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:36 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: vacant seat on the SM City Council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Chris Ruud [mailto:chr10is@yahoo.com]   Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 10:33 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: vacant seat on the SM City Council  I urge you to appoint Robert Kronovet to fill the vacancy. Chris Ruud, long time SM resident Item 2-A 01/22/19 25 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:37 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Ted Winterer; Greg Morena Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Robert Kronovet to City Council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Iris June [mailto:irjue@yahoo.com]   Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 9:27 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Robert Kronovet to City Council  Dear City Council member: Please appoint Robert Kronovet to the City Council on January 22. We need Mr. Kronovet's strength and independence to clean up our streets, deal with the homeless crisis, and stop the increase in crime. He has forward thinking ideas about traffic solutions and a bold vision for the Civic Center as a sports music venue with a new semi-pro hockey team. Above all, Mr. Kronovet puts residents and the city's well-being first. Best regards, Iris J. Item 2-A 01/22/19 26 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:37 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Appointment to council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie    ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐  From: eleanore meyer [mailto:eleanoremeyer@hotmail.com]   Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 7:48 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Appointment to council    I support the appointment of mr kronovet to the open seat.   He is well aware of Santa Monica issues.  He will keep our  city safe from crime, address homelessness, and deal with the traffic.   Sincerely Eleanore meyer   Sent from my iPhone  Item 2-A 01/22/19 27 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:38 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Robert Kronovet Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: marjorie graham [mailto:mgraham.mg@gmail.com]   Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 8:36 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Fwd: Robert Kronovet  From: marjorie graham <mgraham.mg@gmail.com> Date: January 12, 2019 at 12:43:39 PM PST To: council@smgov.com Subject: Robert Kronovet We need Kronovet's strength and independence to clean up our streets, deal with the homeless crisis, and stop the increase in crime. He has forward thinking ideas about traffic solutions and a bold vision for the Civic Center as a new sports music venue with a new semi-pro hockey team. Above all, Mr. Kronovet puts residents and our city’s needs FIRST! Enjoy, Marjorie Graham 90401 MBG Item 2-A 01/22/19 28 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:38 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Criteria for Councilmember Appointment Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie    ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐  From: Daniel Galamba [mailto:galambadb@hotmail.com]   Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 4:00 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Criteria for Councilmember Appointment    1400 block 23rd St  Santa Monica, CA 90404  January 14, 2019    Dear City Council,     I am requesting that you appoint someone to replace Councilmember Vasquez who meets the following criteria:     Proven history of resident advocacy: There is an increasing disconnect between City government and residents, with  71% believing they don’t have influence over City decisions. An equally overwhelming 74% just voted for Council Term  Limits over the fierce opposition of most Councilmembers.  Given this, it is extremely important to appoint someone who has a proven history of advocating for residents and acting  on their concerns. The Council needs to take note of these alarming statistics and discontinue business as usual with this  key appointment. According to the City’s own Wellness survey “Fewer than three in every ten residents (29 per cent)  report feeling they have influence on decisions in Santa Monica.”  Therefore residents feel disenfranchised and ignored.   This cannot continue.    Proven history of concern for overdevelopment and the importance of our City being livable and affordable: Residents  are confronted with a constant drumbeat of new luxury hotels and ultra‐expensive apartments and condos, with long‐ time small businesses being driven out, with City‐owned land being proposed for private development instead of a  needed public park and with terrible traffic set to increase substantially with each new development.  The new  appointee will vote on major hotel projects on Ocean Avenue and a proposed massive private luxury development with  a hotel on City‐owned land at 4th and Arizona. This person needs to be someone with a demonstrable history of concern  for, and activity around, these kinds of overdevelopment, an understanding of the Council’s duties as the steward of  public land and a passion for a more livable city.    Item 2-A 01/22/19 29 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 A candidate who has pledged not to accept developer and other special interests money and to rebuke support from  developer and other special interests funded PACS: With developer and other special interests PAC money dominating  our elections, it is vital that the appointee be someone who has not only pledged not to accept developer and other  special interests donations directly, but will also refuse to accept developer and other special interests PAC money and,  if their support is given anyway, publicly rebuke it. Developer and other special interests PAC money, now masquerading  as progressive, which it is not, distorts our elections and democratic processes.    Willingness to hold the City Hall to account and control the increasing budget: Our growing budget has spiraled out of  control and there is currently about a $440 million unfunded pension obligation.  The new Council appointee needs to  show an understanding of these difficult problems and a willingness to take them on and not push them downstream to  be dumped on a future City Council.    Willingness to tackle the problems of homelessness and crime:  Our City is overrun by the homeless with its associated  crime.  The new Councilmember must be willing to handle this issue even if it isn’t popular among some people.  A City  protecting its residents is a primary City function and cannot be ignored.     Sincerely,  Dr Daniel Galamba          Item 2-A 01/22/19 30 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:38 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: City Council appointee Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Jeanne Laurie [mailto:jeannelaurie2621@gmail.com]   Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 6:38 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: City Council appointee  You have seen the letter addressed to the council regarding the appointment of a replacement for Councilmember Vasquez. I have to agree with all of the points taken by SMCLC. If you truly represent the people of Santa Monica, not the developers, then I would request that you follow the recommendations: RE: Criteria for Councilmember Appointment As our City Council, you are about to appoint a Council member. With the power of incumbency, that person will have a considerable advantage in being re-elected, even with district elections. The appointee must possess honesty, integrity, intelligence, a high degree of competence, a belief in transparency and a love of our city. While an election would be preferable, this is an opportunity to appoint someone who also meets the critical criteria SMCLC sets out below. 1. Diverse replacement: With Tony Vazquez leaving, the Council very much needs a diverse replacement. If the Council were to appoint a non-ethnicallydiverse Item 2-A 01/22/19 31 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 candidate, it would be without any ethnic diversity. If it were to appoint a male, it would be over 70% male (5 of 7). This in a city that’s over 25% ethnically diverse and more than 50% female. While we are celebrating our Congress and other bodies becoming more inclusive, our City Council is in danger of heading in the opposite direction. 2. Proven history of resident advocacy: There is an increasing disconnect between City government and residents, with 71% believing they don’t have influence over City decisions. An equally overwhelming 74% just voted for Council Term Limits over the fierce opposition of most Councilmembers. Given this, it is extremely important to appoint someone who has a proven history of advocating for residents and acting on their concerns. The Council needs to take note of these alarming statistics and discontinue business as usual with this key appointment. According to the City’s own Wellness survey: “Fewer than three in every ten residents (29 per cent) report feeling they have influence on decisions in Santa Monica.” 2 3. Proven history of concern for overdevelopment and the importance of our City being livable and affordable: Residents are confronted with a constant drumbeat of new luxury hotels and ultra-expensive apartments, with long-time small businesses being driven out, with City-owned land being proposed for private development instead of a needed public park and with terrible traffic set to increase substantially with each new development. The new appointee will vote on major hotel projects on Ocean Avenue and a proposed massive private luxury development with a hotel on City-owned land at 4th and Arizona. She or he needs to be someone with a demonstrable history of concern for, and activity around, these kinds of development, an Item 2-A 01/22/19 32 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 3 understanding of the Council’s duties as the steward of public land and a passion for a more livable city. 4. A candidate who has pledged not to accept developer money and to rebuke support from developer funded PACS: With developer-backed PAC money dominating our elections, it is vital that the appointee be someone who has not only pledged not to accept developer donations directly, but will also refuse to seek developer PAC money and, if their support is given anyway, publicly rebuke it. Developer PAC money, now cleverly masquerading as progressive, which it is not, distorts our elections and democratic processes. 5. Willingness to hold the City Hall to account and control the increasing budget: City employees work hard and do good work. There is much to be proud of. But even when serious mistakes are made there is often little accountability and our growing budget has spiraled out of control. One of the reasons that City Hall pushes overdevelopment and is becoming too tourist-centric is that it needs ever more money to balance the sharply increasing budget and to pay mounting pensions. The new Council appointee needs to show an understanding of these difficult problems and a willingness to take them on, not push them downstream. Jeanne Laurie Sunset Park Item 2-A 01/22/19 33 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:42 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Support of Natalya Zernitskaya's Application for City Council Position Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Leonora [mailto:leonorasc@gmail.com]   Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 3:26 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Support of Natalya Zernitskaya's Application for City Council Position  Dear Councilmembers, I am writing in support of Natalya Zernitskaya's Application for City Council. I have had the pleasure of knowing Natalya as a member of the League of Women Voters. As you know, Natalya was formerly the President of the Santa Monica League and a long-time active member. Throughout the time I have known her, she has stood out for her professionalism and integrity. She is focused on benefiting her community first and foremost. She takes her responsibilities very seriously, and uses good judgment when carrying out her duties. She is highly respected (and well loved!) by all of the League members, as well as other Santa Monica community members. On top of these qualities, Natalya always makes an effort to be well educated on issues relevant to the City. She is not the type of person to quickly jump to easy conclusions. Instead, she keeps an open mind and does the hard work of learning as much as she can about all sides of an issue. Natalya is adept at using research to draw conclusions, a skill that I know she will use well as a member of the City Council. I know that Natalya will be an asset to Santa Monica and will have the courage, commitment, and skills necessary to conduct the duties of a City Council Member. Sincerely, Leonora Camner Santa Monica Resident Item 2-A 01/22/19 34 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 1013 16th St. Item 2-A 01/22/19 35 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Santa Monica City Council Santa Monica City Hall 1685 Main Street, Room 209 Santa Monica, CA 90401 Re: Letter of Recommendation for Judy Kruger Dear Councilmembers: It is a sincere pleasure to recommend Judy Kruger for the City Council position at the City of Santa Monica. Ms. Kruger is without a doubt a trusted professional who has demonstrated sincerity in “community” throughout all her professional positions, from working with Michigan Senate, Chamber of Commerce and later in global economic development positions. Judy sees the “big picture” while understanding the small steps required to achieve a goal. She is both a leader and a strong team player. I serve as co-chair of the e4 Mobility Alliance, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation where Ms. Kruger serves as Director. In this organization, Ms. Kruger provides leadership and strategic thinking to grow this new industry sector, resulting in economic and job growth in the region. Ms. Kruger is both a leader and strong team player. I am positive that Ms. Kruger will apply these same attributes to working with the City of Santa Monica and bring great value to the City Council. It is without a doubt that I highly recommend Judy Kruger to the City Council position of Santa Monica. Please feel free to contact me personally if there are any questions regarding my recommendation and Ms. Kruger. Respectfully, Eric Mika In Charge of Government & Business Affairs And Business Development at Evelozcity. Co-Chairman of e4 Mobility Alliance, LAEDC 1 917 690 9651 Mobile 1 310 492 3277 mobile 19951 Mariner Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 — TW LI FB IG / EVELOZCITY.COM Item 2-A 01/22/19 36 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:43 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Tony Vazquez replacement Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: Alan Levenson [mailto:alan@alanlevenson.com]   Sent: Monday, January 14, 2019 1:22 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Tony Vazquez replacement  I support the below letter. Alan Levenson January 11, 2019 TO: Mayor Davis and City Council FROM: Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) RE: Criteria for Councilmember Appointment As our City Council, you are about to appoint a Council member. With the power of incumbency, that person will have a considerable advantage in being re-elected, even with district elections. The appointee must possess honesty, integrity, intelligence, a high degree of competence, a belief in transparency and a love of our city. While an election would be preferable, this is an opportunity to appoint someone who also meets the critical criteria SMCLC sets out below. 1. Diverse replacement: With Tony Vazquez leaving, the Council very much needs a diverse replacement. If the Council were to appoint a non-ethnically- diverse candidate, it would be without any ethnic diversity. If it were to appoint a male, it would be over 70% male (5 of 7). This in a city that’s over 25% ethnically diverse and more than 50% female. While we are celebrating our Congress and other bodies becoming more inclusive, our City Council is in danger of heading in the opposite direction. 2. Proven history of resident advocacy: There is an increasing disconnect between City government and residents, with 71% believing they don’t have influence over City decisions. An equally overwhelming 74% just voted for Council Term Limits over the fierce opposition of most Councilmembers. Item 2-A 01/22/19 37 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 Given this, it is extremely important to appoint someone who has a proven history of advocating for residents and acting on their concerns. The Council needs to take note of these alarming statistics and discontinue business as usual with this key appointment. According to the City’s own Wellness survey: “Fewer than three in every ten residents (29 per cent) report feeling they have influence on decisions in Santa Monica.” 3. Proven history of concern for overdevelopment and the importance of our City being livable and affordable: Residents are confronted with a constant drumbeat of new luxury hotels and ultra-expensive apartments, with long-time small businesses being driven out, with City-owned land being proposed for private development instead of a needed public park and with terrible traffic set to increase substantially with each new development. The new appointee will vote on major hotel projects on Ocean Avenue and a proposed massive private luxury development with a hotel on City-owned land at 4th and Arizona. She or he needs to be someone with a demonstrable history of concern for, and activity around, these kinds of development, an understanding of the Council’s duties as the steward of public land and a passion for a more livable city. 4. A candidate who has pledged not to accept developer money and to rebuke support from developer funded PACS: With developer-backed PAC money dominating our elections, it is vital that the appointee be someone who has not only pledged not to accept developer donations directly, but will also refuse to seek developer PAC money and, if their support is given anyway, publicly rebuke it. Developer PAC money, now cleverly masquerading as progressive, which it is not, distorts our elections and democratic processes. 5. Willingness to hold the City Hall to account and control the increasing budget: City employees work hard and do good work. There is much to be proud of. But even when serious mistakes are made there is often little accountability and our growing budget has spiraled out of control. One of the reasons that City Hall pushes overdevelopment and is becoming too tourist-centric is that it needs ever more money to balance the sharply increasing budget and to pay mounting pensions. The new Council appointee needs to show an understanding of these difficult problems and a willingness to take them on, not push them downstream. Item 2-A 01/22/19 38 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:43 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: replacement for Tony Vazquez Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie    ‐‐‐‐‐Original Message‐‐‐‐‐  From: Joseph K O'Connor [mailto:josephoconnor@mac.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2019 10:27 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: replacement for Tony Vazquez    Council Members,    Choose someone who is resident‐focused when you make the appointment to replace Tony Vazquez. I want to feel  adequately represented by whoever you pick.     Disability rights is my first priority. I would prefer a person who has personal experience of what it's like to live with  disabilities. For just one instance, who thought the "wavy" sidewalks around the downtown train station was a good  idea?    Overbuilding huge projects concerns me as well as my perception of developer influence. Please don't have me believe  that public transportation is the answer. Million dollar condo owners won't be using the train much.    Choose wisely, your public image needs work.    Joseph  Item 2-A 01/22/19 39 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Ann Hoover <annkbowman@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:43 AM To:Council Mailbox; councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox; Clerk Mailbox; Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Greg Morena; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Ted Winterer; Sue Himmelrich Cc:Rick Cole; Katie E. Lichtig; Jaleh MIRHASHEMI; Maryanne LaGuardia; Zina Josephs; John Cyrus Smith; Andrew Browning; David Martin; Karen Ginsberg; Susan Cline Subject:January 22, 2019 Council Meeting - Item 2.A. - Filling Open Council Seat RE: - 01/22/19 Council Meeting Item 2.A. - Thoughts on Filling the Open Council Seat Dear Mayor Davis and Esteemed Council Members - You have an exciting task before you tonight and I write to encourage you to be courageous. I believe two facts give you a lot of latitude in your decision: (1) this appointment is only for two years and the appointee will then need to stand for reelection int 2020 (the end of former Councilmember Vazquez's term); and (2) the Voting Rights lawsuit has created a lot of uncertainty, but in this case I think that uncertainty, ironically, actually plays out in your favor & gives you more freedom than you might typically have in this situation to make a great "temporary" choice regarding a new Councilmember. What kind of choice should you make? I think you must focus on deep personal qualities and skills and not on the external package (e.g., race, sex, sexual orientation, etc.). Don't make a decision that is merely about the external or you will make a mistake. Instead, seek out the best "internal qualities" & fit. Why? Because there is a TON of progress that needs to happen in the next two years to move forward on the biggest challenges impacting our community. Therefore, this is not the time to pick anyone interested in advancing "special agendas". Now IS the time to dig deep and evaluate your five Strategic Goals and work on the ones where progress has not happened, with the goal of improving life for everyone who lives in, works in, and/or visits our City. Your 5 Strategic Goals, established in 2015 are: INCLUSIVE & DIVERSE COMMUNITY, MOBILITY, THE AIRPORT, HOMELESSNESS, and LEARN & THRIVE. If I were you, I'd put big Check-Marks (DONE FOR NOW!) by every one of those except for HOMELESSNESS, as significant progress has been made in every area except HOMELESSNESS and that issue unfortunately has gotten significantly worse. So your three BIG priorities for the next two years should be --  HOMELESSNESS IN GENERAL  CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY (which is related, at least in part, to HOMELESSNESS) - AND -  AFFORDABLE HOUSING (which also is enmeshed, at least in part, with the issue of HOMELESSNESS) Everything else should fall by the wayside as I think the City has a pretty good handle on the other 4. If you can hone in on these three goals and make some real progress over the next two years, you really will have done something. So to do that, you need someone who has the skills and smarts to help you make the big advances. Someone who understands how to ask for and analyze data, who knows how to be a team player and yet also help move a group to consensus, who is a creative problem solver, who is not afraid to ask the hard questions, & who knows how to work well with you as colleagues and with City Staff. You need someone who will help you develop targeted, finely-crafted, data- driven, compassionate, and smart approaches to improving the situation here in Santa Monica - both for the homeless themselves and for everyone else who has to deal with the homeless and what their presence means in our community - the petty crime, the general uneasiness, the smell in general (e.g., on the Promenade - it is really embarrassing), the urine smell in so many other corners of Downtown, the loss of park and public space, etc. Item 2-A 01/22/19 40 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 Collectively, our community is simultaneously compassionate towards the homeless (we passed the County Measure H, we passed GS/GSH overwhelmingly, we want solutions to help our homeless brethren) and fed up -- we are desperate for a measure of safety and to get our public space back. We can do both. So please - appoint someone who will spare us the platitudes, the sad face, the insulting assertion that homelessness adds "interesting diversity" to our town (absolutely ridiculous), etc., and who will WORK WITH YOU & STAFF to effectively address this problem. I encourage you to appoint someone who has professional skills that will complement the work that has to be done. To appoint someone who you respect, who is very smart, and who will be a great colleague. Someone who will challenge the status quo, but who is reasonable and knows how to get us to an action plan. Also, try to pick someone who is fun and who you will enjoy working with. Your job as Councilmembers does not have to be a total drag - you can both have fun and do the important work. Lastly, I imagine many players in the City's "Power Cabal" have told you how you need to act tonight. We know who they are. That is unfortunate, but a political reality. So please do not forget that Santa Monicans elected you - YOU! - not some shadow government. YOU are our leaders. YOU are the people we elected to make the decisions (not the behind- the-scenes players). Please have the courage to act on what is in your heart and to express the courage of your convictions. I know you'll make a great choice if you do. GOOD LUCK! Best, Ann Hoover Resident for 23 years 310-560-9902 City Clerk – Please include this letter in the Public Record for Agenda Item 2.A., City Council meeting of Jan. 22, 2019. Thank you.  Item 2-A 01/22/19 41 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:44 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Letter of support Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: klewis37@aol.com [mailto:klewis37@aol.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2019 8:07 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: Letter of support  I support the position of the group Santa Monica Citizens for a Livable City----It is important to select a person for the council who knows Santa Monica well and has been a resident of the city for a long time to understand the history. Please select a council person who knows what the city once was and where the future will take us....Kent Lewis- --resident of Santa Monica since 1990---was a member of the Santa Monica De Molay in 1952., remembers the nets over the Douglas Aircraft factory in 1944.... Item 2-A 01/22/19 42 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19  9HUQLFH+DQNLQV )URP&RXQFLO0DLOER[ 6HQW7XHVGD\-DQXDU\$0 7R*OHDP'DYLV7HUU\2·'D\&RXQFLOPHPEHU.HYLQ0F.HRZQ6XH+LPPHOULFK*UHJ 0RUHQD7HG:LQWHUHU &FFRXQFLOPWJLWHPV 6XEMHFW):/HWWHURIVXSSRUW ŽƵŶĐŝůͲ  WůĞĂƐĞƐĞĞƚŚĞĞŵĂŝůďĞůŽǁƌĞŐĂƌĚŝŶŐƚŚĞŽƵŶĐŝůŵĞŵďĞƌĂƉƉŽŝŶƚŵĞŶƚ͘  dŚĂŶŬLJŽƵ͕  ^ƚĞƉŚĂŶŝĞ   &ƌŽŵ͗ŬůĞǁŝƐϯϳΛĂŽů͘ĐŽŵ΀ŵĂŝůƚŽ͗ŬůĞǁŝƐϯϳΛĂŽů͘ĐŽŵ΁ ^ĞŶƚ͗^ƵŶĚĂLJ͕:ĂŶƵĂƌLJϭϯ͕ϮϬϭϵϴ͗ϬϳD dŽ͗ŽƵŶĐŝůDĂŝůďŽdžфŽƵŶĐŝů͘DĂŝůďŽdžΛ^D'Ks͘Edх ^ƵďũĞĐƚ͗>ĞƚƚĞƌŽĨƐƵƉƉŽƌƚ  ,VXSSRUWWKHSRVLWLRQRIWKHJURXS6DQWD0RQLFD&LWL]HQVIRUD/LYDEOH&LW\,WLVLPSRUWDQWWRVHOHFWDSHUVRQIRUWKH FRXQFLOZKRNQRZV6DQWD0RQLFDZHOODQGKDVEHHQDUHVLGHQWRIWKHFLW\IRUDORQJWLPHWRXQGHUVWDQGWKH KLVWRU\3OHDVHVHOHFWDFRXQFLOSHUVRQZKRNQRZVZKDWWKHFLW\RQFHZDVDQGZKHUHWKHIXWXUHZLOOWDNHXV.HQW/HZLV UHVLGHQWRI6DQWD0RQLFDVLQFHZDVDPHPEHURIWKH6DQWD0RQLFD'H0ROD\LQUHPHPEHUVWKHQHWVRYHU WKH'RXJODV$LUFUDIWIDFWRU\LQ Item 2-A 01/22/19 43 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 10:44 AM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: APPOINT RESIDENT-AWARE COUNCILMEMBER Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie       From: gayle cooper [mailto:gmcoop1007@yahoo.com]   Sent: Sunday, January 13, 2019 6:16 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: APPOINT RESIDENT‐AWARE COUNCILMEMBER  I agree with the letter from SMCLC. Please appoint a councilmember whose mission is focused on needs of residents. Item 2-A 01/22/19 44 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 1:02 PM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Sue Himmelrich; Ted Winterer; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Greg Morena Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: Ana Marie Jara for Appointment to City Council Council‐    Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.    Thank you,    Stephanie      From: Darrell goode [mailto:darrell_scott2@msn.com]   Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2019 12:36 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Cc: Darrell goode <darrell_scott2@msn.com>  Subject: Ana Marie Jara for Appointment to City Council  Date: 1/22/19  To: City of Santa Monica City Council Members,  For: Ana Marie Jara  I am writing this support as a person who has experienced the Santa Monica experience from, working, worshipping,  social activism, resident, community involvement, teaching, intervention and enjoying life in Santa Monica, and I see  Santa Monica has place that has the potential to show leadership in a nation of challenged values.  Therefore, I am  writing this letter of support for Ana Marie Jara’s consideration for the Council voting her in as a Council Member this  Tuesday.  I submit my support for Ana Jara because I cI submit my support for Ana Marie Jara because I can validate from my  tenure in the community that City Council Applicant submitted by her is imbued with honesty and hard work and  commitment to our city as profound and would enhance the City Council with a perspective that would serve it well in  meeting the challenges ahead. Please note that Ana Jara has an unbiased approach with a real grassroots and  institutional experience that would benefit the Council when it must hire professional consultants to have this resource  as a Council member.   Those of us that know Ana can attest to the fact that she has had a persistent voice Those of us that know Ana can attest  to the fact that she has a persistent voice for truth for what is a concern for the community without self‐aggrandizement  or self‐promoting at the expense of the Santa Monica community. Not only can you find these values in Ana, but you can  find these same community and family values in her children who are now adults in our community.   Therefore, without any reservation I give my personal recommendation and hope that the City Council votes Ana Marie  Jara in as a Council Member today to serve this great community.    Sincerely,  Item 2-A 01/22/19 45 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 2 Darrell Goode  Branch President NAACP Santa Monica Venice  (Note NAACP as organization cannot support Candidates)  Item 2-A 01/22/19 46 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 1:03 PM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena; Ted Winterer Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: SMRR Steering Committee Recommendation Council‐  Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.  Thank you,  Stephanie  From: Patricia Hoffman [mailto:oppenhoff@earthlink.net]   Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2019 12:12 PM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: SMRR Steering Committee Recommendation   The SMRR Steering Committee recommends the appointment of any of the following applicants, listed in random order: Caroline Torosis Jennifer Kennedy Ana Jara Barry Snell We believe that each of these people would serve the City well, with demonstrated commitment to philosophies consistent with the SMRR platform. Any of these talented people would also help achieve our common goal of enhancing ethnic, racial and/or gender diversity on the Council. We hope that you will seriously consider each of them and, ultimately, choose one to join you on the dais as a member of our City Council. Thank you, Patricia Hoffman and Denny Zane Co-chairs Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights Item 2-A 01/22/19 47 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 1 Vernice Hankins From:Council Mailbox Sent:Tuesday, January 22, 2019 1:03 PM To:Gleam Davis; Terry O’Day; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Ted Winterer; Sue Himmelrich; Greg Morena Cc:councilmtgitems Subject:FW: In Support of Ana Maria Jara Council‐  Please see the email below regarding the Councilmember appointment.  Thank you,  Stephanie  From: Macrina Garcia [mailto:lmgarcia400@gmail.com]   Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2019 11:50 AM  To: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>  Subject: In Support of Ana Maria Jara  Dear Mayor Davis and Council members,  My name is Macrina García, I have been a resident of Santa Monica for over 30 years. I am sending you this  letter in support of Ana Maria Jara. Ana is a great leader and she will bring another perspective to the city  council. She knows the struggles and challenges of working class people. She’s an advocate for our families  and youth advocating for fair housing, safety, education and our wellbeing.   I would like to ask for your consideration to appoint Ana Maria Jara for city council.  Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Macrina G Item 2-A 01/22/19 48 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 January 17, 2019 Santa Monica City Council Santa Monica City Hall 1685 Main Street, Room 209 Santa Monica, CA 90401 Re: Letter of Recommendation: Judy Kruger Dear Councilmembers: Please accept this letter in strong support of Judy Kruger for the City Council position with the City of Santa Monica. As president and COO of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC), I have the distinct pleasure of working alongside Ms. Kruger in her role as Director of Strategic Initiatives, running point on a number of the LAEDC’s critical industry cluster development programs and initiatives. In this capacity, Ms. Kruger provides strategic leadership, programmatic development and execution, and tactical guidance that build labor supply- and demand-side capacity within targeted industry sectors, e.g., aerospace, advanced transportation, in support of the LAEDC’s mission to advance opportunity and prosperity for the 10+ million residents here in LA County. During her time at the LAEDC, Judy has established herself – both inside the organization and across many discrete external communities, such as government, industry, labor and education – as a trusted advisor, steadfast advocate and “big thinker” on myriad issues vital to the health and vibrancy of the regional economy. Ms. Kruger is compassionate, extremely dependable and competent, collaborative and categorically trustworthy; indeed, her verisimilitude is one of her greatest strengths. In short, Ms. Kruger is a highly principled individual, and she applies that authenticity and honor in all of her day-to-day activities, demonstrably exhibiting the highest level of professionalism and leadership. I am most confident that Ms. Kruger will bring these same traits and dedication to the Santa Monica City Council, and so I strongly support her candidacy and, without qualification, recommend that she be appointed to the city council. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (213) 236-4834 should you have any questions and/or require additional information regarding Ms. Kruger Sincerely, David Flaks, President & COO Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Item 2-A 01/22/19 49 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Item 2-A 01/22/19 50 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19 Santa Monica City Council Santa Monica City Hall 1685 Main Street, Room 209 Santa Monica, CA 90401 Re: Letter of Recommendation for Judy Kruger Dear Councilmembers: It is a sincere pleasure to recommend Judy Kruger for the City Council position at the City of Santa Monica. Ms. Kruger is without a doubt a trusted professional who has demonstrated sincerity in “community” throughout all her professional positions, from working with Michigan Senate, Chamber of Commerce and later in global economic development positions. Judy sees the “big picture” while understanding the small steps required to achieve a goal. She is both a leader and a strong team player. I serve as co-chair of the e4 Mobility Alliance, Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation where Ms. Kruger serves as Director. In this organization, Ms. Kruger provides leadership and strategic thinking to grow this new industry sector, resulting in economic and job growth in the region. Ms. Kruger is both a leader and strong team player. I am positive that Ms. Kruger will apply these same attributes to working with the City of Santa Monica and bring great value to the City Council. It is without a doubt that I highly recommend Judy Kruger to the City Council position of Santa Monica. Please feel free to contact me personally if there are any questions regarding my recommendation and Ms. Kruger. Respectfully, Eric Mika In Charge of Government & Business Affairs And Business Development at Evelozcity. Co-Chairman of e4 Mobility Alliance, LAEDC 1 917 690 9651 Mobile 1 310 492 3277 mobile 19951 Mariner Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 — TW LI FB IG / EVELOZCITY.COM Item 2-A 01/22/19 51 of 51 Item 2-A 01/22/19