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3w10.442.1651 ww.andrewthurm.com Volume 9 Issue 24
Santa Monica Daily Press IN THE MONEY SEE PAGE 11
We have you covered
THE NEW FACE ISSUE
Council hires Gould as new city manager BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief
CITY HALL With a unanimous vote, the City
costs in the next decade, small businesses won’t experience significant hardship. In 2020, the average small business will have to increase its energy costs to just 1.7 percent of revenues, the report said. “We don’t see (AB 32) as something that will have a substantial, or possibly even a noticeable, effect on most small business-
Council Tuesday selected Rod Gould to serve as the new city manager, City Hall’s most senior position, making him responsible for day-to-day operations and the formation of the city’s roughly $500-million budget. Gould, 52, is currently the city manager of Poway, Calif., also known as “The City in the Country,” located in northeast San Diego County, with a population of roughly 50,000. Gould will earn a base salary of GOULD $285,000, receive relocation assistance and be eligible for a $1.3 million loan at a fixed 3.27 percent interest rate from City Hall to help him purchase a home in Santa Monica, according to a contract approved by the council. The selection follows a nationwide search that attracted more than 100 candidates, with the council interviewing six finalists over the past month. “I am honored and thrilled with your appointment to serve as Santa Monica’s next city manager,” Gould told the council Tuesday night. “The more I’ve learned about Santa Monica the more I’ve been impressed
SEE BILL PAGE 9
SEE GOULD PAGE 8
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com
MAN AT WORK: Executive Chef Felix Lopez works with a large bowl full of mashed plantains at The Border Grill on Wednesday afternoon.
Study: Businesses not harmed by emissions bill BY NICK TABOREK Daily Press Staff Writer
CITYWIDE As California works to implement the state climate change law known as AB 32 — aimed at reducing carbon emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 — some small business owners have complained they’ll bear the brunt of the new regulations and the state’s economy will pay the price.
But a new study that analyzed the energy expenditures of Santa Monica restaurant The Border Grill suggests small business may be left relatively unscathed by increasing energy costs caused by state carboncutting measures. The average small business spends just 1.4 percent of revenues on energy costs, according to the authors of the study, so even assuming large increases in energy
State Supreme Court to hear Black Widows appeal BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief
DOWNTOWN A former Santa Monica landlord who is serving a life sentence for the murders of two homeless men for financial gain may have another shot at proving her innocence.
The California Supreme Court agreed last week to hear an appeal filed by Helen Golay, 78, whose attorney claims her Sixth Amendment rights were violated during her criminal trial because she was not allowed to confront technicians who conducted toxicology tests related to the case. If the court
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finds in her favor, Golay would be entitled to a new trial. “It doesn’t mean they are going to reverse [the verdict], but it is a very important step,” said Golay’s attorney, Roger Diamond, who has a practice on Main Street. “They didn’t have to take the case at all.”
Legal experts said the ruling is important given the increased use of scientific testing and other forensic evidence. Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt of Hollywood were ordered to serve life in SEE GOLAY PAGE 10