SR 11-14-2023 5B
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: November 14, 2023
Agenda Item: 5.B
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: David Martin, Director, Administration
Subject: Authorization to Enter into License Agreements for Independent Spirit Awards
and LA Wine & Food Festival
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Adopt a finding of categorical exemption pursuant to Section 15323 (Class 23
Normal Operations of Facilities for Public Gatherings) of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute license agreements with
Film Independent (Spirit Awards) and IMG (LA Wine & Food) to use a portion of
Lot 1N from February 12, 2024, to March 8, 2024, and again in 2025 during the
same time period.
Summary
In accordance with the 1550 PCH Parking Lot Cultural/Entertainment Event Policy, staff
issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for cultural or entertainment events in Lot 1-North
located at 1550 Pacific Coast Highway, the surface parking lot directly north of the Pier.
Film Independent submitted a proposal for the Independent Spirit Awards (ISA) to be
held on February 25, 2024, and IMG submitted a proposal for LA Wine & Food Festival
(LAWFF) to be held over three-days, March 1-3, 2024, using the ISA’s tent and site
footprint. The site occupation would last approximately three weeks to accommodate
the load-in and construction of the event tent followed by a week of demobilization after
the events conclude. The 1550 Lot Event Policy allows for multi-year event proposals,
therefore staff also recommends the approval for the ISA and LAWFF to return in
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February and March 2025 (exact dates to be determined) at the City’s sole discretion.
The rental fee revenue coming into the Beach Fund would be $173,255 for FY 2023-24.
Discussion
The 1550 Lot Cultural/Entertainment Event Policy was initiated as a means to enliven
the beachfront and attract visitors during the slower times of the year. It was also
intended to offer unique cultural and entertainment opportunities to the community and
economic benefits for the City and tourism/hospitality sectors. In 2018 the Community
Events Site Guidelines were revised to close the 1550 Beach Parking Lot as an event
forum and only large events that are approved through the 1550 Lot Event Policy and
RFP process are permitted.
The City issued a call for proposals in June 2023 and received three responses by the
deadline. The evaluation panel consisted of representatives from Santa Monica Travel
and Tourism, Santa Monica Pier Corporation, Office of the City Manager, and Office of
Pier Management. The evaluation panel reviewed and rated the proposals using the
evaluation criteria published in the RFP. The panel recommended the City negotiate a
license agreement with the producers of the Independent Spirit Awards and LA Wine &
Food Festival. A third proposal from Cirque du Soleil is currently under evaluation by the
panel and a recommendation may be brought to Council at a later date.
Spirit Awards: For the last 27 years Film Independent’s Spirit Awards has taken place
beachside in Santa Monica. The event was initially in beach lot 4-S (2030 Ocean
Avenue) and then in beach lot 1-N (1550 PCH) when the Community Events Site
Guidelines closed the south beach lots as event venues. The Spirit Awards is the
premier awards event that honors the independent film and television community and
brings together creatives from throughout the world. The Spirit Awards provides direct
economic benefit through the rental fee that includes a square foot fee for the amount of
space occupied plus lost parking revenue. In addition, ISA will generate direct revenue
to the City from hotel room fees and local sales tax revenue generated from guests
attending the event as well as those who are nominated for awards. Additionally, the
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ISA staff will purchase meals on the Pier during the two week set up period and one
week demobilization. Film Independent hosts additional nomination events leading up to
the awards as well as an after party in Santa Monica and intends to do so again for the
2024 show.
LA Wine & Food: IMG is a global event, entertainment and media firm that operates in
more than 30 countries. IMG is the owner of Taste Festivals and Frieze Art Festivals.
The three-day LAWFF would be a new event from IMG designed to bring together the
best of Los Angeles’s dining scene and allow guests to sample dishes and drinks from
local culinary talent. The festival will take place in the tent installed by Film Independent
for the Spirit Awards show. Upon conclusion of the food festival on March 3, Film
Independent would begin demobilization of the site.
LAWFF producers have agreed to integrate Santa Monica based chefs, collaborate with
the City’s Farmers’ Markets to source produce and look for opportunities to cross
promote with Pier businesses. The timing of the LAWFF event would also correspond
with Frieze-LA event taking place at the Santa Monica Airport, allowing event producers
to tie-in the festivals and promote Santa Monica as destination for both food and art.
In addition to the site rental fee, both events will be responsible for the payment of fees
for permits, licenses and services required to support their respective events.
LAWFF intends to emulate the traffic management plan developed and utilized by the
ISA which has attendees and staff parking off site and taking a shuttle to the 1550 lot.
RFP Selection Process
Bidder Recommendation
Best Qualified Person/Firms Film Independent and IMG
Evaluation Criteria Unique cultural or entertainment experience,
economic benefit, rental fee, balance of space and
duration, traffic and parking impact mitigation
measures, neighborhood impacts, environmental
impacts, limits concessions/services in direct
competition with Santa Monica Pier, exhibition style
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vs. timed event, educational outreach, sufficient
planning time.
Municipal Code SMMC 2.24.180
RFP Received
Film Independent (recommended)
IMG (recommended)
Cirque Du Soleil (under review)
RFP DATA
Posted On Posted On Advertised in (City
Charter & SMMC)
Vendors
Downloaded
RFP Due Date
6/6/2023 City’s
Online Bidding Site
Santa Monica
Daily Press
13 6/30/2023
Justification to Award
The Film Independent (ISA) and IMG (LAWFF) proposals were evaluated and ranked
based on the degree to which the event offers a unique cultural or entertainment
experience; demonstrates clear measurable economic benefit to the City and local
businesses, including Pier; and contains a rental fee that significantly contributes to
the City’s Beach Fund, among additional criteria outlined in the RFP.
Environmental Review
The event is categorically exempt pursuant to Section 15323 (Class 23 Normal
Operations of Facilities for Public Gatherings) of the California Environmental Quality
Act (CEQA) guidelines. Class 23 consists of the normal operations of existing facilities
for public gatherings for which the facilities were designed, where there is a past history
of the facility being used for the same or similar kind of purpose. The lot 1N (1550 PCH)
Parking lot has been previously used for special events, and therefore, the proposed
events are categorically exempt from CEQA.
Commission Action
The ISA and LAWFF event producers met with the Santa Monica Pier Lessees
Association (SMPLA) on September 5, 2023, and the Santa Monica Pier Corporation
Board of Directors (SMPC) on September 18, 2023. A motion to have the SMPC Board
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express their support for these events moving forward into the planning and
development process with the City passed unanimously.
Past Council Actions
Meeting Date Description
May 26, 2020 Award Request for Proposal and enter into Agreement with
Film Independent for the Independent Spirit Awards (2021,
2022 and 2023)
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
There is no immediate financial impact or budget action necessary as a result of the
recommended action. Staff will return to Council if specific budget actions are required
in the future. The City would receive $173,255 in revenues for the use of lot 1N.
Revenues will be deposited in Beach Fund Account 11700001.415290.
Prepared By: Elana Buegoff, Pier Administrator
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Film Independent_Signed_OAKS INITIATIVE_2023
B. IMG OAKS INITIATIVE FORM
5.B
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5.B.aPacket Pg. 32Attachment: Film Independent_Signed_OAKS INITIATIVE_2023 (6000 : Authorization to Execute a License Agreements with Independent Spirit
5.B.aPacket Pg. 33Attachment: Film Independent_Signed_OAKS INITIATIVE_2023 (6000 : Authorization to Execute a License Agreements with Independent Spirit
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE NOTICE
NOTICE TO APPLICANTS, BIDDERS, PROPOSERS
AND OTHERS SEEKING DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, CONTRACTS,
OR OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica’s voters adopted a City Charter amendment commonly known
as the Oaks Initiative. The Oaks Initiative requires the City to provide this notice and
information about the Initiative’s requirements. You may obtain a full copy of the
Initiative’s text from the City Clerk.
This information is required by City Charter Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection.
It prohibits a public official from receiving, and a person or entity from conferring,
specified personal benefits or campaign advantages from a person or entity after
the official votes, or otherwise takes official action, to award a “public benefit” to that
person or entity. The prohibition applies within and outside of the geographical
boundaries of Santa Monica.
All persons or entities applying or receiving public benefits from the City of
Santa Monica shall provide the names of trustees, directors, partners, and officers,
and names of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation or revenue
interest. An exception exists for persons serving in those capacities as volunteers,
without compensation, for organizations exempt from income taxes under Section
501(c)(3), (4), or (6), of the Internal Revenue Code. However, this exception does not
apply if the organization is a political committee or controls political committees.
Examples of a “public benefit” include public contracts to provide goods or services
worth more than $25,000 or a land use approval worth more than $25,000 over a 12-
month period.
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative,
the City compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the
name of any person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit”
is sought by an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the
name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has
(e) more than a ten percent interest in the entity. Therefore, if you are seeking a
“public benefit” covered by the Oaks Initiative, you must supply that information on
the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form. This information must be updated and supplied
every 12 months.
5.B.b
Packet Pg. 34 Attachment: IMG OAKS INITIATIVE FORM (6000 : Authorization to Execute a License Agreements with Independent Spirit Awards and LA Food
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITIATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the
City compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the
name of any person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public
benefit” is sought by an entity, rather than an individual person, the information
includes the name of every person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d)
officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent interest in the entity.
Public benefits include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a
12- month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of
$25,000 over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more
in any 12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established
land use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any
12- month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any
12- month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: Title:
Signature: Date:
Email: Phone:
Permit #
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract #
5.B.b
Packet Pg. 35 Attachment: IMG OAKS INITIATIVE FORM (6000 : Authorization to Execute a License Agreements with Independent Spirit Awards and LA Food