m20220222 1 February 21, 2022
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
FEBRUARY 22, 2022
A regular meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was called to order by Mayor Himmelrich at 5:36 p.m.,
on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, via teleconference pursuant to Assembly Bill No. 361signed by, Governor
Gavin Newsome at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street.
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Sue Himmelrich
Mayor Pro Tem Kristin McCowan
Councilmember Phil Brock
Councilmember Gleam Davis
Councilmember Lana Negrete
Councilmember Oscar de la Torre
Councilmember Christine Parra
Also Present: City Manager David White
Interim City Attorney Joseph Lawrence
City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren
CONVENE/PLEDGE
On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened at 5:36 p.m., with all
members present. Councilmember Parra led the assemblage in the Pledge
of Allegiance.
CLOSED SESSIONS
There was no public comment on closed sessions.
On order of the Mayor, the City Council recessed at 5:36 p.m., to
consider closed sessions and returned at 7:16 p.m., with all members
present, to report the following:
1.A. Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation:
Anticipate significant exposure to litigation Pursuant to Government
Code Section 54956.9(d)(2): Oceana Hotel
The City Attorney advised a settlement agreement was reached with
counsel for the Oceana Hotel that would result in termination of
threatened litigation over alleged procedural irregularities in the City
Council’s proceedings on November 23, 2021, which resulted in the
technical denial of a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment and Condition
Use Permits for the Hotel. The settlement provides:
• that Oceana will waive and release all claims arising from actions
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taken at the November 23, 2021 hearing upon the City Council holding a
de novo hearing to reconsider the Text Amendment and CUPs before a
full City Council meeting in chambers before June 30, 2022.
• tolls the statute of limitations to file a writ proceeding challenging
the Council’s previous actions if the de novo hearing is not timely held
until July 15, 2022;
• limits Oceana’s rights to future judicial review to the actions
taken at the new de novo hearing.
The City Attorney’s Office recommended the City Council approve the
settlement.
Motion by Mayor Himmelrich, seconded by Councilmember Davis, to
approve Settlement Agreement No. 11241 (CCS). The motion was
approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
1.B. Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation –
Litigation has been initiated formally pursuant to Government Code
Section 54956.9(d)(1): Wolfgang Mountford v. City of Santa Monica,
U.S. District Court Case No. 2:20-CV-07220-MCS (Ex)
The Interim City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no
reportable action taken.
1.C. Public Employee Appointment: Title – City Attorney
The Interim City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no
reportable action taken.
1.D. Conference with Labor Negotiator: Government Code Section
54957.6 -- Agency Designated Representatives: City Manager David
White and Chief People Officer Lori Gentles; Bargaining Units:
ATA-Administrative Team Associates; IBT-California Teamsters
Local 911; FEMA-Santa Monica Fire Executive Management
Association; FIRE-Santa Monica Firefighters Local 1109 IAFF;
MEA-Municipal Employees Association; AFSCME Local 4819,
Management Team Association; PALSSU-Public Attorneys’ Legal
Support Staff Union; PAU- Public Attorneys Union; POA-Santa
Monica Police Officer Association; SMART TD-The International
Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Division,
Local 1785; STA- Supervisory Team Associates; Coalition of Santa
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Monica City Employees
The Interim City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no
reportable action taken.
SPECIAL AGENDA
ITEMS:
2.A. City Manager Report, was presented.
Members of the public Zina Josephs, Andrew Wilder, John Alle, Alan
Levinson, and Ben Wang.
REPORT ON COUNCIL
TRAVEL
There was nothing to report on Council travel.
REPORT ON MEETING
COMPENSATION
Pursuant to State law, City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren announced
that Council will receive no compensation for meeting as the
Redevelopment Successor Agency.
CONSENT CALENDAR: There being a Consent Calendar for each the City Council and the
Redevelopment Successor Agency, on order of the Mayor and with the
consensus of the Councilmembers, the Council convened to a joint
meeting with the Redevelopment Successor Agency at 7:53 p.m., the two
Consent Calendars were heard concurrently, with all members present.
There was no public comment on the Consent Calendar.
At the request of Agency/Councilmember de la Torre, Item 3.A was
removed from the Consent Calendar.
Motion by Agency/Councilmember Brock, seconded by Agency/
Councilmember Parra, to approve the Consent Calendar except for Item
3.A, reading resolutions by title only and waiving further reading thereof.
The motion was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Agency/Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock,
de la Torre, Chair/Mayor Pro Tem McCowan,
Chair/Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
RECRUITING SERVICES 3.B. Approval of Agreement No. 11242 (CCS) with Robert Half
International, Inc. for Recruiting Services, was approved.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to
negotiate and execute a Professional Services Agreement with Robert
Half International, Inc. for recruitment services for the Information
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Services Department. This recommended award is made as an exception
to the competitive bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.250 (b) and is
for a total amount not to exceed $60,000 with future year funding
contingent on Council budget approval.
ANNUAL INVESTMENT
POLICY
3.C. Annual Investment Policy Update, was approved.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Review and approve the City’s revised Investment Policy;
2. Extend the delegation of investment authority to the Director of
Finance, as City Treasurer, from March 1, 2022 through February
28, 2023.
Staff also recommends that the Successor Agency Governing Board:
1. Review and approve the City Investment Policy for Successor
Agency Investments;
2. Extend investment authority to the Treasurer of the Successor
Agency, from March 1, 2022 through February 28, 2023.
MINUTES 3.D. Minutes for Redevelopment Successor Agency meetings, were
approved.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the Redevelopment Successor Agency approve the
minutes of the December 14, 2021 meeting.
MINUTES 3.E. Minutes for the City Council - Special Meeting - January 25,
2022, were approved.
MINUTES 3.F. Minutes for the City Council - Regular and Special Joint
Meeting - February 8, 2022 5:30 PM, were approved.
SANTA MONIC POLICE
DEPARTMENT
3.A. Approval of Agreement No. 11243 (CCS) with Dooley
Enterprises, Inc. for Purchase of Ammunitions for the Santa Monica
Police Department, was approved.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to
negotiate and execute an agreement with Dooley Enterprises, Inc., a
California-based company, for ammunitions for the Police Department.
This recommended award is made as an exception to the competitive
bidding process pursuant to Section 2.24.250 (b) and is for a total amount
not to exceed $550,000 for a five-year period with future year funding
contingent on Council budget approval.
This item was pulled by Councilmember de la Torre to ask questions of
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staff including: State requirement and standards to maintain ammunition;
is this the ammunition used for practice; how much ammunition does a
Police department need to maintain at one time; and, is this for a new
five-year appropriation, which would be beyond what we currently have.
Motion by Brock, seconded by de la Torre, to approve the recommended
action, The motion was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ADJOURNMENT OF
SPECIAL JOINT
MEETING
On order of the Mayor, the joint meeting with the Redevelopment
Successor Agency was adjourned by 8:00 p.m., and the regular City
Council meeting was reconvened, with all members present.
STUDY SESSION:
SIDEWALK VENDING
4.A. Citywide Response to Sidewalk Vending, was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council review and comment on the
Study Session on the Citywide Response to Sidewalk Vending including
input on the future direction of the City's Pier Task Force.
Members of the public Joanie Gordon, Gilbert Saucedo, Cindy Pfifer,
Victor Narro, Cynthia Anderson-Barker, Hunter Hall, Paul Garnica, Jim
Lafferty, I.R., Kelly Alacqua, Michael King, Cameron Chapman-Pinto,
small business owner, Eleanor Camner, Sam Pope, Albin Gielicz, Dylan
Lee, Cheyenne Murphy, Misti Kerns, Dr. Michael Gruning, Sergio
Jimenez, Susan Hosier, Kendall Langs, Isabelle Geczy, Sarah Handloser,
Colleen Flynn, Nathan, Joe Antognini, Matt Stauffer, Rebecca Brown,
Pam O’Connor, Diego Santillan, Alejandra Pedroza, Miguel Velazquez,
Elizabeth Garcia, Lourdes Vallavargas, John Camacho, Sandra Lopez,
Karina Hernandez, and, Christian Contreras spoke on the
recommendation.
Questions asked and answered of staff included: what is the plan going
forward on addressing the issues at the Pier; is this sort of task force
necessary to maintain for the long term considering the amount of visitors
the city receives; would there be one or two teams instead of rotating out
officers; have revenue lost for businesses before the task force been
reviewed; is state funding available to support the effort to deal with the
consequences of unpermitted vending; is there staffing cost towards
cleaning and safety that can be used to support the increase in cost for the
task force; is there an economic strategy for the Pier, and does this tie into
that at all; for permitted vendors, is there an opportunity for them to have
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better location, placement, or better coordination; do new positions need
to be added, or can positions that were cut during the pandemic be added
instead; would the return of a Fire Marshal position be cost-neutral and
offset due to fees; is private security needed at this point; if Option 3 is
decided, is there an ability to build back up to Option 2, if an adjustment
is needed; are we ahead or behind on our Fire inspections; what can be
done to help secure and protect the permitted vendors; other than cost, are
there other barriers that keeps vendors from becoming licensed; is there a
way to create vendor options on the Pier parking deck instead of having
cars; how much of an effect has the task force made on the amount of
dumping happening along the beach area; and, can staff take the
permitting to the Pier and go to the vendors instead of the vendors having
to come into a building
Considerable discussion ensued on topics including, but not limited to:
creating a program for local students, vendors, and provide them first
opportunities; this is not just a vending issue, it is a public safety and
sanitation issue; thanks to the multi-departmental staff and task force and
the tremendous amount of work that has been done over the past months;
the impact of task force has made the Pier safe and secure for residents
and visitors; continue with Option 2 to keep the task force at its current
levels, and with Option 3 the reduction might be too restrictive when the
summer season begins; it’s positive that the city is working to help local
vendors get permitted and legal; do what we can to support permitted
vendors; look into creating an expanded street vendor program; with the
expansion of the Virginia Avenue kitchen, use this as an opportunity to
encourage entrepreneurship; think about creating a street vending
experience someplace in the city, close to the Pier; look at a more robust
economic experience at the Pier; support Option 3, and think of other
ways to eliminate barriers for vendors to get licensed; try to move from a
heavy enforcement model, and move more towards a collaborative
model; the top of the Pier bridge is not safe and is a mess right now; think
about creating better, more attractive barriers around the top of the Pier
area when opening the Pier bridge; maybe create a micro-lending
program for the vendors; and, create a night market for vendors, which
would take the pressure off of the Pier.
AGENDA
MANAGEMENT
Due to the late hour, the City Manager recommended moving the
Carlthorp item 6.A. to a Special meeting on March 15, 2022.
Motion by Mayor Himmelrich, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem McCowan,
to continue Item 6.A. to a Special meeting on March 15, 2022.
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan proposed to move the appointments 13.A.
through 13.C. to a future meeting as well. The amendment was
considered friendly by the maker.
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The motion to continue 6.A. to a Special meeting on March 15, 2022, and
to continue Items 13.A. through 13.C. to a future meeting were approved
by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ADMIN. PROCEEDINGS:
438 SAN VICENTE BLVD.
6.A. Appeal of Planning Commission Approval of Conditional Use
Permit and Minor Modification for Expansion of Carlthorp School,
438 San Vicente Blvd, was continued to a Special meeting on March 15,
2022.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the City Council deny Appeal 20ENT-0275, appealing
the Planning Commission’s approval of Conditional Use Permit 19ENT-
0250 and Minor Modification 20ENT-0066 for a 7,898 square foot
expansion to the Carlthorp School, rooftop playcourt, and 0.29% increase
to the allowable ground floor parcel coverage, and approve the requested
CUP and Minor Modification, based upon the findings and analysis
outlined in this report.
ORDINANCES:
SANTA MONICA PIER
7.A. Introduction and Adoption of Emergency Ordinance No. 2694
(CCS) entitled “AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA TO AMEND SANTA
MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 3.36.290 TO PROHIBIT
THE POSSESSION OF COMBUSTIBLE FUELS ON AND IN CLOSE
PROXIMITY TO THE SANTA MONICA PIER WITHOUT A
PERMIT”, was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce and adopt an
emergency ordinance amending the Santa Monica Municipal Code to
prohibit possession of combustible fuels on or in close proximity to the
Pier.
Member of the public Zachary Gaidzik spoke to the recommended action.
Questions asked and answered of staff included, is there any concern
about the effect from having fuel for carts in the parking lots so close to
the Pier, if there were an explosion.
Motion by Councilmember Davis, seconded by Councilmember Negrete,
to introduce and adopt at first reading of the ordinance reading by title
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only and waiving further reading thereof. The motion was approved by
the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Motion by Councilmember Davis, seconded by Councilmember Negrete,
to direct staff to come back with a potential ordinance expanding the
reach of this ban on potentially explosive and flammable materials to
include areas more than 25 feet away from the Pier that might be
potentially dangerous, if some of these materials were to in fact explode.
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
PIER DECK PARKING
LOT
7.B. Adoption of Resolution No. 11402 (CCS) entitled “A
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MONICA ESTABLISHING PARKING RATES AND PERMIT FEES
FOR ALL CITY PARKING FACILITIES AND RESOURCES”, and the
Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance Amending
Municipal Code Section 3.04.030 relating to the Pier Deck Parking
Lot, was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt the attached resolution authorizing the City Manager or
Designee to establish hours of operation for the Santa Monica Pier
Deck Parking Lot.
2. Introduce for first reading the attached ordinance to amend Santa
Monica Municipal Code Chapter 3.04.030 to clarify that the Santa
Monica Pier Deck Parking Lot operating hours shall be established
by the City Manager or Designee, and thus allow for the
enforcement of established operating hours on the Santa Monica
Pier Deck Parking Lot.
There was no public comment on this item.
Motion by Councilmember Parra, seconded by Councilmember Brock, to
adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager or Designee to establish
hours of operation for the Santa Monica Pier Deck Parking Lot. The
motion was approved by the following vote:
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AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Motion by Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, seconded by Councilmember
Brock, to introduce and hold first reading of the ordinance reading by title
only and waiving further reading thereof. The motion was approved by
the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
PUBLIC ASSEMBLIES 7.C. Introduction and Adoption of Emergency Ordinance No. 2695
(CCS) entitled “AN EMERGENCY ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA EXTENDING
AMENDMENTS TO SANTA MONICA MUNICIPAL CODE
SECTION 4.08.780 TO PROMOTE THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND
WELFARE BY PROHIBITING CERTAIN ITEMS AT PUBLIC
ASSEMBLIES AND COMMUNITY EVENTS,” was presented.
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council introduce and adopt an
emergency ordinance extending amendments to Santa Monica Municipal
Code Section 4.08.780 relating to restrictions on carrying, using, or
possessing certain specified items during community events or public
assemblies to promote public safety and welfare.
There was no public comment on this item.
Questions asked and answered of staff included: what would happen if
someone showed up at a protest with a skateboard; does the ordinance
allow the Police department to have the discretion to enforce this law
differently; is it necessary to sunset this ordinance, or can it just be left in
place; and, as a result of this ordinance, have there been any claims made
against the city.
Considerable discussion ensued on topics including, but not limited to,
commending the Police department for the way that they have
communicated the restrictions to protest organizers.
Motion by Councilmember Negrete, seconded by Councilmember de la
Torre, to introduce and adopt at first reading of the ordinance reading by
title only and waiving further reading thereof. The motion was approved
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by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
STAFF
ADMINISTRATIVE
ITEMS:
BROWN ACT
8.A. Approval of Proposal Regarding Independent Investigation of
Possible Violations of the Brown Act and Confidentiality Agreements
and Authorization of the Issuance of Subpoenas in the Name of the
City under Section 614 of the City Charter in Conducting the
Investigation, was presented.
Recommendation:
Approve the proposal from the City Manager and the Interim City
Attorney to have an independent investigation of possible violations of
the Brown Act and Confidentiality Agreements by City Council members
in connection with the search, candidate evaluation, and recruitment for
the positions of City Manager and City Attorney conducted in 2021 and
2022. Authorize the issuance of subpoenas in the name of the City under
section 614 of the City Charter in conducting the investigation.
Members of the public Denise Barton, Bradley Ewing, Olga Zurawska,
Natalya Zernitskaya, Zachary Gaidzik, Jason Mathbaum, Anna Rogers,
and Jonathan Foster spoke to the recommended action.
Questions asked and answered of staff included: what amount is expected
to be spent on this investigation; would this be the same rate if there were
two attorneys working at the same time; have we done similar
investigations; what ended up happening to Councilmembers in the prior
investigations; are we able to cap the amount or have check-ins with caps
to see where they are; is the investigation about events more than about
people; if something happens, who is responsible for paying any fine, the
city or the individual; are only Councilmembers going to be investigated,
or are all parties involved, including staff, applicants, and anyone in
Closed session; and, if there is evidence of a Councilmember leaking
closed session information, why is this investigation necessary.
Considerable discussion ensued on topics including, but not limited to:
the amount of money that could be spent on this could be used to fund
other projects in the city; if a violation is discovered, this could lead to a
criminal referral; concerns about subpoena powers and what that means
in terms of cost and rights for Councilmembers; fine expanding the scope
of who should be included in the investigation; need to find out what
happened, and who is responsible for the leak; the $100,00 that is spent
will regain the integrity of the decisions made and the respect from the
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community; if there is a systemic problem with leaks from the Closed
Session this will help figure it out short of a criminal prosecution and
make the processes better; integrity has value, and we should want to
know what happened; this is disturbing and will further divide the
Council;
Motion by Councilmember Davis, seconded by Mayor Himmelrich, to
adopt the staff recommendation, and include interviewing staff and
applicants. The motion failed by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmember Davis, Mayor Pro Tem McCowan,
Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Parra
ABSENT: None
Councilmember Negrete explained for the record her no vote because she
is all for transparency, and there are other things that can be done that
don’t cost as much money as an investigation. She is aware that there are
things that get out there, but this is not going to bring the Council
together.
COUNCILMEMBER
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
DISABILITIES
COMMISSION
13.A. Appointment to one unscheduled vacancy on the Disabilities
Commission for a term ending on 6/30/2022, was postponed to a future
meeting.
HOUSING COMMISSION 13.B. Appointment to one unscheduled vacancy on the Housing
Commission for a term ending on 6/30/2025, was postponed to a future
meeting.
PUBLIC SAFETY
REFORM AND
OVERSIGHT
COMMISSION
13.C. Appointment to one unscheduled vacancy on the Public Safety
Reform and Oversight Commission for a term ending on 6/30/2023,
was postponed to a future meeting.
LIBRARY BOARD 13.D. Appointment to two unscheduled vacancies on the Santa
Monica Library Board for a term ending on 6/30/2022 and 6/30/2023,
was presented.
On order of the Mayor, the floor was opened for nominations for a seat
term ending June 30, 3022.
Councilmember de la Torre nominated Judith Meister.
There being no other nominations, Judith Meister was appointed to a term
ending June 30, 2022 by the following vote:
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AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
On order of the Mayor, the floor was opened for nominations for a seat
term ending June 30, 2023.
Councilmember Davis nominated Ralinda Harvey Smith.
Mayor Himmelrich nominated Laurel Schmidt.
Ms. Schmidt was appointed to a term ending June 30, 2023 by the
following vote:
Harvey Smith: Councilmember Davis, Mayor Pro Tem McCowan
Schmidt: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Parra,
Mayor Himmelrich
Councilmember Davis and Mayor Pro Tem McCowan changed their
votes to Schmidt, thereby appointing Laurel Schmidt unanimously to the
Library Board, with all members present.
PLANNING
COMMISSION
13.E. Recommendation to accept Elisa Paster's resignation from the
Planning Commission and authorize the City Clerk to publish the
vacancy, was presented.
Motion by Councilmember Davis, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem
McCowan, to accept the resignation with regret. The motion was
approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
PUBLIC SAFETY
REFORM AND
OVERSIGHT
COMMISSION
13.F. Recommendation to accept George Brown's resignation from
the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission and authorize
the City Clerk to publish the vacancy, was presented.
Motion by Mayor Himmelrich, seconded by Councilmember Davis, to
accept the resignation with regret. The motion was approved by the
following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
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AGENDA
MANAGEMENT
Motion by Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, seconded by Mayor Himmelrich,
to hear Item 13.G. at the end of the agenda, before public input since
Mayor Himmelrich would be recusing herself and they could hear items
13.H – 13.J. before she leaves. The motion was approved by the
following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
COUNCIL RULES 13.H. Request of Councilmembers Negrete and Brock that no new
item, other than Public Input, shall be considered after 11:00p.m.
unless consideration is approved by a two-thirds vote of the
Councilmembers present, was presented.
Member of the public Denise Barton spoke on the recommended action.
Motion by Councilmember Parra, seconded by Councilmember Brock, to
adopt the recommendation. The motion was approved by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
COUNCIL RULES 13.I. Request of Councilmembers Negrete and Brock to direct the
City Clerk and the City Manager to review Council Rules and
Procedures; time management and Council agenda management to
end Council meetings earlier, including the timing and scheduling of
Closed Session and Study Sessions and address any additional
meetings of the City Council, if necessary, was presented.
There was no public comment on this item.
Motion by Councilmember Negrete, seconded by Councilmember Brock,
to adopt the recommendation. The motion was approved by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Davis, Negrete, Brock, de la Torre,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
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CITY HALL MURALS 13.J. Request of Councilmembers de la Torre and Parra that
Council directs staff to no longer install a temporary scrim over the
Stanton Macdonald-Wright murals in the lobby of Santa Monica
City Hall and to instead direct staff to launch of a process that
engages and educates our community and results in the addition of
artwork within the lobby to create a more inclusive and complete
story of our City's history and vision for our future to advance the
City’s commitment to equity, justice and respect for all and, in the
interim, direct staff to explore the creation of a temporary lobby
display around the themes that will be explored during the larger
community education and engagement process, was presented.
There was no public comment on this item.
Motion by Councilmember Negrete, seconded by Mayor Himmelrich, to
adopt the recommendation. The motion was approved by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers de la Torre, Brock, Negrete, Davis, Parra,
Mayor Pro Tem McCowan, Mayor Himmelrich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
HOUSING COMMISSION
Mayor Himmelrich was
excused at 1:40 a.m.
13.G. Request of Councilmembers Brock, Parra and de la Torre
that the City Council remove Housing Commissioner Leonora
Camner pursuant to City Charter Article 1002 (requiring a motion
adopted by at least five affirmative votes), and to thank her for her
previous service to the Santa Monica Housing Commission. With the
removal, authorize the City Clerk to publish the vacancy, was
presented.
Mayor Himmelrich stated that she has become personally embroiled in
this controversy and has strong bias arising from her husband’s removal
from the Housing Commission before his term was finished, and for that
reason, she recused herself from this item.
Members of the public Bradley Ewing, Leonora Camner, Denise Barton,
Michael Lewis, Matt Stauffer, Olga Zurawaska, Zachary Gaidzik, Debbie
Paperman, and Michelle Gray spoke on the recommended action.
Motion by Councilmember Parra, seconded by Councilmember de la
Torre, to adopt the recommendation. The motion failed by the following
vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Parra, Brock, de la Torre
NOES: Councilmembers Davis, Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem McCowan
DocuSign Envelope ID: 178C7597-37C8-4E0A-AE2D-F7B109A0248D
15 February 21, 2022
ABSENT: Mayor Himmelrich
PUBLIC INPUT: Member of the public Jonathan Foster commented on various local
issues.
ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor, the City Council meeting adjourned at 2:34 a.m.
in memory of Samuel V. Kardashian.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Denise Anderson-Warren Sue Himmelrich
City Clerk Mayor
Kristin McCowan
Mayor Pro Tempore
DocuSign Envelope ID: 178C7597-37C8-4E0A-AE2D-F7B109A0248D