SR 09-14-2021 13H 13.H
September 14, 2021
Council Meeting: September 14, 2021 Santa Monica, California
1 of 1
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records & Elections Services
Department
Date: September 14, 2021
13.H Request of Councilmembers Brock and De la Torre that Council direct the
City Manager to have staff act as follows with respect only to parking
citations issued by Santa Monica Parking Officers for parking during the
posted days and hours for street sweeping during the period August 30
through September 3, 2021: if the recipient of the citation, by no later than
October 5, 2021, submits to the City (either through the City’s website,
https://prdwmq.etimspayments.com/santamonica/dev/review.htm
(preferred), by letter, or by phone, 800-214-1526), a request for initial review
that affirmatively states that the recipient of the citation did not receive
notice of the beginning of weekly street sweeping during this period and
explains why (e.g., did not access social media or website postings, did not
see notice in newspaper, and did not otherwise learn of the street
sweeping), the City will cause the citation (whether previously paid or not)
to be dismissed based on a determination that extenuating circumstances
make dismissal of the citation appropriate in the interest of equity and
justice, and a refund to be processed for a citation that was previously
paid.
13.H
Packet Pg. 338
Background:
On August 30, the City reinstituted weekly street sweeping after Council, in response to
community feedback, restored funding in the FY 2021-2022 budget. Weekly street
sweeping is an important way to keep Santa Monica safe and clean for our residents
and visitors.
Many residents stayed in their homes without adequate off-street parking during this
period. Even with blanket notices (as outlined below), residents felt that weekly street
sweeping enforcement would begin in September 2021, not the last week of August.
There are still residents who do not possess computers or smart phones and had no
means to be aware of the resumption of this weekly service.
The Delta variant (not anticipated when the City Council voted to resume weekly street
sweeping) has kept many residents working from home while a large number of
residents are still behind on their rent. Federal unemployment assistance has just ended
for many in our community.
To inform the community of resumed weekly sweeping, RRR worked with Police and
Communications to develop an outreach campaign. Information was shared on the
City’s website; posted to 52,000 social media followers on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and Nextdoor; included in the bi-weekly SaMoNews community newsletter
sent to over 23,000 email addresses; posted on digital message boards throughout
Santa Monica; and included in the September edition of Seascape that is sent to every
household in Santa Monica, which through unfortunate circumstances arrived after
ticketing for street sweeping had already begun. A text message was also sent on
SMAlerts to residents who are enrolled in the SMAlerts program.
Despite the outreach campaign, many residents remained unaware of the resumption of
weekly street sweeping. For the majority of 2020 and 2021, street sweeping was
confined to the first full week of each month. Even with the outreach campaign, many
residents believed that weekly street sweeping enforcement would begin the first full
week of September following the Labor Day holiday, rather than during the period from
August 30 to September 3. And, some residents do not possess computers, smart
phones, or other means through which they could have become aware of the
resumption of this weekly service hence, through proper appeal, these citations will be
waived.
13.H.a
Packet Pg. 339 Attachment: Streetsweeping citation extension (4762 : Dismiss parking citations)
From:Council Mailbox
To:councilmtgitems
Subject:FW: Parking Ticket Relief
Date:Tuesday, September 14, 2021 2:02:04 PM
From: Ron Cohen <roncohen01@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 11, 2021 12:36 PM
To: Oscar de la Torre <Oscar.delaTorre@SMGOV.NET>; Phil Brock <Phil.Brock@SMGOV.NET>
Cc: Council Mailbox <Council.Mailbox@SMGOV.NET>
Subject: Parking Ticket Relief
EXTERNAL
CouncilMembers Brock and Torre,
Your desire to fix the parking tickets residents received on August 30th is misguided.
Thousands of residents obeyed the law and did not get a parking ticket. You are
penalizing us for being law abiding citizens.
It is also clear that it is your political base that will be the prime beneficiaries of this
amnesty. A yes vote on this item will show that you only represent an angry subset of
residents and not all residents, and will reward them with no regards to ethics or the
law.
Should you vote yes, I expect you will fix my next parking ticket. After all, the entire
city should get the same benefit as the August 30 violators.
Do the right thing and vote no.
Ron
Santa Monica Resident
Item 13.H 09/14/21
1 of 1 Item 13.H 09/14/21
13.H.b
Packet Pg. 340 Attachment: Written Comments (4762 : Dismiss parking citations)