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WHAT’S UP WESTSIDE ..................PAGE 2 EARTH TALK ....................................PAGE 4 MY WRITE ........................................PAGE 5 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO ................PAGE 8 MYSTERY PHOTO ............................PAGE 11
MONDAY
11.16.15 Volume 15 Issue 3
@smdailypress
Santa Monica Daily Press
New rules to encourage water conservation BY MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
Water conservation remains a priority at City Hall, as the council has approved several changes to municipal code recently with an eye toward water savings. Changes have been made to water meter requirements for affordable housing units and the city has revised rules for landscaping to encourage conservation. At their Nov. 10 meeting, council took three actions related to revising water meters. First, council approved changes to the code requiring individual meters for projects of less than six units and sub meters for larger projects. Second, council approved a discounted water rate for affordable housing projects that were previously exempt from the individual meter requirements. Third council approved $84,000 a year to cover the new subsidy. Santa Monica has required individual
water meters in new multifamily construction since 1990. However, a separate city code requires those meters be placed in a public right of way such as an alley. Staff said the two codes create a conflict, as the public space is frequently too small to accommodate multiple meters. The old code also exempted affordable housing projects from the requirement. The new rules still require individual city owned meters for projects of six or fewer meters. However, large projects will install a single city owned master meter and individual units will have privately owned sub meters. Landlords will be responsible for paying the master meter bill and it will be up to the property manager/landlord to decide how they use the submeter information. Part of the new rules remove the exemption for affordable housing projects. To offset the increased cost of installing submeters, a new discounted water rate has been established for units
HOT WHEELS
SEE WATER PAGE 7
Jennifer Maas jennifer@smdp.com
Families gathered at McKinley Elementary School on Sunday, Nov. 15 for the Santa Monica Family Bike Festival, hosted by Santa Monica Spoke. The event featured free activities including a “bike rodeo” and skills course, a wood bike banked track, a rock climbing wall, DJ entertainment and face painting.
smdp.com
Baseball: Samohi shortstop signs with Nevada McLaughlin excited to extend family legacy on diamond BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
If Jaylon McLaughlin didn’t have baseball in his blood, he certainly had it in his eyes. Born when his father was playing the sport in college, McLaughlin was around the diamond from a very young age and quickly took a liking to it. Indeed, baseball strengthened a bond that has blossomed over the years into a good-natured fatherson rivalry. “We’re really competitive,” said McLaughlin, a senior shortstop at Santa Monica High School, “so I always try to one-up him.” McLaughlin made progress toward achieving that goal this month by signing a letter of intent to play at the University of Nevada. The talented infielder was also recruited by Long Beach State, University of the Pacific and New Mexico State, but he verbally committed to the Wolf Pack in midSeptember and ultimately kept his word. “It’s what I’ve always wanted,” he said, adding that he chose Nevada because of the vibe he got from the coaching staff, the atmosphere of the Reno school and its proximity to Lake Tahoe. “My goal is to play professionally, so this puts me one step closer.” McLaughlin will join a Nevada program that competes in Division I as a member of the Mountain West Conference. The Wolf Pack compiled a 41-15 overall record last year under then-coach Jay Johnson, capturing its first-ever outright conference title with a 22SEE BASEBALL PAGE 6
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