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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. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8BDE3711-7351-4D0A-85DE-80B84FDE9F2C 2 March 13, 2021 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. DocuSign Envelope ID: 8BDE3711-7351-4D0A-85DE-80B84FDE9F2C 3 March 13, 2021 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 DocuSign Envelope ID: 8BDE3711-7351-4D0A-85DE-80B84FDE9F2C 4 March 13, 2021 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 DocuSign Envelope ID: 8BDE3711-7351-4D0A-85DE-80B84FDE9F2C 5 March 13, 2021 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 DocuSign Envelope ID: 8BDE3711-7351-4D0A-85DE-80B84FDE9F2C