m20210313_Spec.pdf 1 March 13, 2021
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
MARCH 13, 2021
A special meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was called to order by Mayor Himmelrich at 1:30 p.m. on
Saturday, March 13, 2021, via teleconference pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20 at
https://primetime.bluejeans.com/a2m/live-event/xquvwyse
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Sue Himmelrich
Mayor Pro Tem Kristin McCowan
Councilmember Phil Brock
Councilmember Gleam Davis
Councilmember Oscar de la Torre (arrived at 1:35 p.m.)
Councilmember Kevin McKeown
Councilmember Christine Parra
Also Present: Interim City Manager Lane Dilg
Interim City Attorney George Cardona
City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren
CONVENE On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened at 1:30 p.m., with all
members present except Councilmember de la Torre.
AGENDA
MANAGEMENT
The Mayor asked Council to consider hearing the 13-item before the 8-item
to allow staff covering phones to leave after public comment for the Budget
Priorities.
Motion by Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, seconded by Councilmember Davis,
to reorder the agenda and hear item 13.A. before item 8.A. The motion was
approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, McKeown, Brock,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: Councilmember de la Torre
COUNCILMEMBER
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
AUDIT COMMITTEE
INVESTIGATION
Councilmember de la Torre
13.A. Request of Mayor Pro Tem McCowan and Councilmembers
Davis and McKeown that the Council adopt attached Resolution No.
11323 (CCS) calling on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to
conduct a thorough investigation and audit of the Metropolitan Water
District of Southern California’s personnel practices and policies, in
light of recent reports concerning the alleged mistreatment of female
and LGBTQ staff, was presented.
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arrived at 1:35 p.m.
Member of the public Alan Shannahan spoke in support of the
recommended action.
Motion by Councilmember McKeown, seconded by Councilmember de la
Torres, to adopt the resolution. The motion was approved by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, McKeown, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
STAFF
ADMINISTRATIVE
ITEMS:
COMMUNITY
PRIORITIES
8.A. Adoption of Community Priorities to Guide the Budget Process
for Fiscal Years 2021-2023, was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council select up to five Community
Priorities to guide the budget process for fiscal years 2021-2023.
Members of the public Michael Soloff, Shari Davis, Rene Buchanan, Kent
Strumpell, and, Laurene Von Klan spoke on the recommended action.
Questions asked and answered of staff included: based on previous
priorities, what is staff expecting from Council at this meeting; have new
business opportunities been favored for a potential increase in revenue; has
the loss of leasing revenue been factored in; if housing and homelessness
are put as a top priority, shouldn’t Measure GSH funds not be reduced in
the upcoming year; if the city has the ability to combine and reduce the
number of priorities, couldn’t it create a larger funding bubble for the really
important priorities of the city; and, what is meant by Equity and Inclusion;
with only two priorities, does that limit Equity and Inclusion.
Considerable discussion ensued on topics including, but not limited to:
homelessness and public safety seem to be the top two issues with the
residents, so consider combining to create Safe and Clean Streets and
Community; need to have the resources available for Enforcement to create
Safe Streets; Safety and reducing Homelessness is more than likely the real
priorities for residents; the city needs to be more proactive and less reactive
to the Safe community issues; concern about grouping homelessness and
crime; advocate to have at least two Town Hall meetings to inform
members of the public and residents to make them aware of the city’s
budget; concern that if items aren’t included as a priority, they may be left
out of the budget setting; concern if priorities aren’t specifically identified,
items of high priority for residents may get dropped or left behind, due to
budget constraint, concern about crime in the parks; and, helping loan
income renters, and help renters remain in their homes.
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Motion by Councilmember McKeown, to choose the community top five
budget priorities (Reducing Homelessness, Keeping Neighborhoods Safe,
Affordability, Environmental Sustainability, and Accessible Mobility and
Transportation), and that in adopting those five, further affirm that all five
be interpreted in the budget process as being informed with Economic
Opportunity and Recovery and Equity and Inclusion. The motion died due
to a lack of a second.
Motion by Councilmember Davis, seconded by Councilmember McKeown,
to identify four priorities: 1) a Clean and Safe Santa Monica; 2) a Securely
Housed Santa Monica; 3) a Socially Just and Equitable Santa Monica; and
4) a Sustainable Santa Monica.
Councilmember Davis proposed an amendment to her original motion to
say, a securely housed Santa Monica, which includes continuing efforts
using our four pillars to reduce homelessness in Santa Monica. The motion
was approved by the seconder.
Substitute Motion by Mayor Himmelrich, seconded by Councilmember
Brock, that the top two priorities in the survey should be the two priorities
for the next two years. (1) Reduce Homelessness and 2) Clean and Safe
Neighborhoods.
Councilmember de la Torre proposed an amendment to the substitute
motion to alter the priority to Clean and Safe Space. The motion was
approved by the maker and the seconder.
Councilmember de la Torre proposed a friendly amendment to add Equity
and Inclusion as one of the priorities. The motion was approved friendly
by the maker and seconder.
The Interim City Manager read the substitute motion for clarification to
include: 1) Addressing homelessness, with the four pillars; 2) Clean and
Safe Santa Monica - create an atmosphere marked by clean and safe public
spaces and neighborhoods; and 3) Equity and Inclusion - a city that
provides all community members with access to resources and
opportunities, where differences an life outcomes cannot be predicted by
race, class, gender, disability or other identity.
Councilmember de la Torre proposed adding Economic Recovery guided
by Equity and Inclusion, with and Educational component. The
amendment was considered friendly by the maker and seconder.
The Interim City Manager expressed concerns about combining the
Economic Recovery and Equity and Inclusion. She proposed having
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Economic Opportunity & Recovery as a fourth priority.
Mayor Himmelrich amended the substitute motion to make Economic
Recovery as a fourth priority, but instead thought it better to combine
Equity & Inclusion and Economic Opportunity & Recovery. The
amendment to the substitute motion was considered friendly by the
seconder.
Councilmember de la Torre proposed an amendment to change vulnerable
residents to vulnerable individuals. The motion was considered friendly by
the maker and the seconder.
Mayor Himmelrich proposed to take out our safe fun and healthy spaces.
The motion was considered friendly by the seconder.
The Final priorities, with definitions included the following as the
substitute motion, with amendments:
Addressing Homelessness
• Prevent housed Santa Monicans from becoming homeless; address the
behavioral health needs of vulnerable individuals; and advocate for
regional capacity to address homelessness.
Clean & Safe Santa Monica
• Create an atmosphere marked by clean and safe public spaces and
neighborhoods.
Equitable & Inclusive Economic Opportunity & Recovery
• Cultivate equitable and inclusive economic opportunity and recovery,
including access for all community members to educational,
employment, and economic resources and opportunities, and create a
community where differences in life outcomes cannot be predicted by
race, class, gender, disability, or other identities.
The substitute motion, with amendments was approved by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Parra, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: Councilmembers McKeown, Davis, Mayor Pro Tem McCowan
ABSENT: None
Councilmember McKeown stated for the record his no vote reflects not
what’s in the motion, which he supports, but rather what’s not in the
motion. He is deeply troubled by removing Affordability, that diminished
focus puts existing residents at risk of losing their economic quality of life,
if not actually being evicted. He is appalled that this ignores the existential
crisis of our time, Climate change, by reducing our commitment to
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sustainability. He does not believe the actions we need to take to save our
city and our planet are just going to happen.
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan stated for the record her no vote for the
substitute motion was because she believed that the Council so narrowly
defined our priorities that things were excluded that she felt were critically
important. Council did not explicitly lay them out, in a way she thought
they should have. Especially in the areas of Affordability and
Sustainability.
Councilmember Davis stated that her no vote for the record was based on
similar reasons as Councilmember McKeown and Mayor Pro Tem
McCowan. Additionally, she thought tying efforts in terms of Equity
completely and exclusively to Economic Recovery is inappropriate. That
Social Justice is a broader topic, and there may be a lot of things that
Council needs to do to address the effects of intentional racism in the
history of our country, as well as the history of our community, that don’t
have anything to do with Economic Recovery, but have to do with creating
a socially just community. She thinks not including those in these days and
times is inappropriate.
ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor, the City Council meeting adjourned at 4:06 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Denise Anderson-Warren Sue Himmelrich
City Clerk Mayor
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