m20200414.spe.docx.pdf 1 April 14, 2020
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
APRIL 14, 2020
A special emergency meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was called to order by Mayor McKeown at
5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, via teleconference pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Order N-29-
20 at http://primtime.bluejeans.com/am2/live-event/uukpvzaa
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Kevin McKeown
Mayor Pro Tem Terry O’Day
Councilmember Gleam Davis
Councilmember Sue Himmelrich
Councilmember Ana M. Jara
Councilmember Greg Morena
Councilmember Ted Winterer
Also Present: City Manager Rick Cole
City Attorney Lane Dilg
City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren
CONVENE
On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened at 5:00 p.m., with all
members present.
STAFF
ADMINISTRATIVE
ITEMS:
8.A. Approval of Voluntary Employee Early Separation Incentive
Program and Direction to Develop a Plan for Restructuring
Operations and Balancing the Budget as a result of the COVID-19
Health Emergency, was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that Council:
(1) Authorize the City Manager to implement a Voluntary Early
Separation Incentive Program (VESIP) for eligible employees and
(2) direct staff to report back no later than the April 28, 2020 Council
meeting with a proposed plan for restructuring City operations and
balancing the City budget to address impacts from the novel
coronavirus (“COVID-19”) public health emergency.
Comments from members of the public Somya Munjal, Melissa Zelenovic,
Lauralee Asch, Ellis Raskin, Rubin Carter, John Kirkpatrick, Jasmine Durr,
Mindi Shank, Leah Cornelius, and Benjamin M. Steers, ATA President,
were read into the public record on the recommended action.
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Questions asked and answered of staff included: how did management
come up with the options for Tier 1 and Tier 2 and the $5K and $10K
amounts, and isn’t it typical to base these types of early separations based
on salary and not a base amount; have we received any Federal funding for
COVID-19, and if so how much; what would be an incentive for staff to
take the early separation when they just took a big hit recently on their
retirements; so now does an employee have to work that much longer to get
the same benefit; what if someone is 51 years old, can they access their
retirement benefits; in regards to the recall funds, are those funds
transferred from other funds then transferred to the general fund; if this was
protracted out to FY21/22, do you have the option to reduce capital projects
to 21/22; is there a reconsideration of a plan that was originally scheduled
for the April 28th meeting, but has now been delayed to May 8th to allow
further consideration and propose a different plan; if someone takes
advantage of the VESIP program, will they be able to be rehired, and could
that language be included in the separation agreement; and, has anyone in
HR asked the question about whether or not the proposed VESIP amount is
high enough, and if there was a higher amount, would there be more people
who would take advantage of the payout.
Considerable discussion ensued on topics included but not limited to:
Deeply concerned with the results of how this virus will impact the most
vulnerable population and how it will affect diversity in the community;
concern about diversity, and if there is plan for economic recovery after this
pandemic is over, and if there’s a way to incorporate maintaining Virginia
Avenue Park as the heart of the community.
Motion by Councilmember Winterer, seconded by Councilmember Davis, to
adopt the staff recommendation.
Councilmember Winterer, proposed an amendment to make it a priority to
make sure we have the tools for an economic recovery that across all
spectrums of the city, and that through the lens of social justice make sure
that the people who are most at risk from the economic crisis have the tools
in place to continue to be valuable members of our community, and that we
do everything in our power to preserve our socio-economic diversity. The
motion was considered friendly by the seconder.
Councilmember Davis, as the seconder added, regarding on-going and future
impacts. There may be future impacts that we aren’t necessarily aware of;
and would like to see the word “social justice and diversity” in the
Philosophy for Restructuring as part of the city’s values. The motion was
considered friendly by the maker.
Councilmember Morena proposed a friendly amendment to reiterate
knowledge preservation of certain staff members. The motion was friendly
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to the maker and the seconder.
Councilmember Winterer, amended his motion to include, to direct staff to
report back no later than May 5. The motion with the amendment was
considered friendly by the seconder.
Councilmember Morena, proposed a friendly amendment to add: create long
term fiscal and community sustainability that preserves institutional
knowledge, aligns available resources, to the extent possible. The motion
was considered friendly by the maker and seconder.
Councilmember Morena, proposed a friendly amendment to add to prioritize
efforts that encourage business retention, rebuild the economic and social
health of the community, to try to preserve what we have. The motion was
considered friendly by maker and seconder.
Councilmember Himmelrich, proposed a friendly amendment if an employee
takes the VESIP, then they would need to return the cash payout if they
return. The maker proposed instead a 2 year period before an employee
could return. She also suggested that the amount should increase to $10K
and $20K. The motion was not considered friendly by the maker.
Councilmember Winterer, proposed an amendment to raise the payout for
Tier 1 to $15,000 and Tier 2 to $10,000, in order to possibly increase the
number of those who voluntarily leave, and reduce the number of layoffs.
The motion was considered friendly by the seconder.
Councilmember Jara, proposed a friendly amendment to modify
Councilmember Morena’s amendment to change language in the philosophy
to create long term fiscal and community sustainability that preserves
institutional knowledge, to the extent possible, and add: “that aligns with
available community centered resources, with the city values.” The motion
was considered friendly by the maker and seconder.
The motion, with amendments, was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Morena, Himmelrich, Davis, Winterer, Jara,
Mayor Pro Tem O’Day, Mayor McKeown
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
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ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor, the City Council meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Denise Anderson-Warren Kevin McKeown
City Clerk Mayor
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