Santa Monica Daily Press, July 13, 2015

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Santa Monica Daily Press MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015

Volume 14 Issue 208

JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED SEE PAGE 4

Council to tackle lobbying and leases BY MATTHEW HALL Editor-in-Chief

CITY HALL At its July 14 meeting, the City Council will take on

several controversial issues and few housekeeping items.

about ministerial actions and individuals responding to an enforcement proceeding by the city. Lobbyists would have to disclose their paid clients and rates. Prohibited activities amount to bans on lying or attempting to directly control city procedures. The proposed

LOBBYING

The council will hear the first reading of proposed rules to govern lobbying within the city. According to the staff report, “basic requirements are that lobbyists register with the City, make periodic disclosures about their activities, and pay registration fees to cover City costs. A few activities would be prohibited. Remedies would be established.” Lobbying would be defined as attempting to influence a city official with regard to action by the city and a “lobbyist” would be defined as someone receiving compensation for that work in excess of $1,000. Public officials or city employees acting in their official capacity, journalists, individuals limiting their efforts to public forums, property owners working on behalf of their properties, individuals submitting bids for city work, whistleblowers, people discussion legal matters with staff, non-profit employees working on behalf of their organizations, members of neighborhood associations representing the associations, union negotiations, communication solely

Nicholas Salazar

ordinance includes both civil and criminal remedies. AIRPORT LEASES

All airport leases expired on June 30 and the city is considering lease renewals with all rents set to “market rate.” According to the report, three-year leases are appropriate for some tenants as any city action on closing part of the airport will be delayed for several years due to ongoing litigation. However, those leases would include a provision allowing for early termination if litigation is resolved more quickly. Aviation tenants are being offered month-to-month leases. Lease recommendations are: 1. Ruskin Theater (3-year term at $3,595.27 per month). 2. Atlantic Aviation of Santa Monica (3-year term at $54,889.93 per month and 40% of the net rental revenue from subleasing). 3. Krueger Aviation Inc. (month-to-month at $4,920 per month and 50% of the net rental revenue from subleasing) (western parcel). 4. Gunnell Properties LLC (3-year term at $91,170.80 per month and 12% of gross revenue above the amount of the City’s base rent). 5. Ameriflyers of California dba American Flyers (month-to-month at $11,229.58 and 50% of the net rental

THREE YEARS?: the Spitfire Grill is one of several businesses that could get a three year lease at the airport.

SEE COUNCIL PAGE 6

Expo testing to begin this week BY DAILY PRESS STAFF CITYWIDE The Expo Light Rail Line extension from

Culver City to Santa Monica is scheduled to start train-testing activities in Santa Monica on July 16 and will continue for several months. Initially the trains will be pulled along the rail corridor before being run on their own power. The testing activity will test train clearances, the Overhead Catenary System which powers the trains, the crossing gates and traffic signals and all related systems before the project is turned over to Metro for pre-revenue operations. The testing will start Thursday and continue through the fall along the light rail alignment between Venice Boulevard in Los Angeles and 4th Street in Santa Monica. Operations will occur Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The testing will come after delays in the construction process that had pushed the completion of the construction process back three to four months. The $2.4 billion project that began in 1989 is still expected to open in March or April of next year. Once under operation, commuters will be able to travel from Downtown Los Angeles to

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Yes, in this very spot! Call for details (310) 458-7737

Giving language learners a ‘sé’

Santa Monica in 46 minutes. There will be three stops in Santa Monica: Olympic and 26th, Colorado and 17th and Colorado and Fourth. Trains will run every 12 minutes during rush hour and every 10 to 20 minutes during the midday and evenings. Preliminary testing activities will take place intermittently before the crossing gates are activated at gated crossings and the train signals are coordinated along Colorado. During this time, testing may result in brief interruptions of street traffic as trains cross the intersections assisted by safety personnel. Once the crossing gates are operational and the signals are coordinated, testing will continue on a more regular schedule. The train’s audible devices may be used during testing activities. Throughout the testing period, safety personnel will be available at the crossings to assist. The purpose of this pre-revenue testing is to give Metro staff hands on experience with stimulated service and the physical characteristics and equipment of the line.

COMING SOON: Trains will begin moving through

EDITOR@smdp.com

Santa Monica in the coming week.

SCHOOL BOARD DEBATES HOW TO DEVELOP STUDENTS’ ENGLISH SKILLS Editor’s note: This is the second installment of a two-part series about English learners in Santa Monica-Malibu schools.

BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer

Nicholas Salazar

Gary Limjap (310) 586-0339 In today’s real estate climate ...

Experience counts! garylimjap@gmail.com www.garylimjap.com

CITYWIDE The student had come 2,500 miles from Guatemala to the Santa Monica-Malibu school district, a traumatic transition in and of itself. Already lacking in social and emotional support, the student was struggling to overcome language barriers. SEE LANGUAGE PAGE 7

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