published on September 8, 2014 -
Uncategorized

Airport-related measures on the November ballot: LC and D

During the spring, paid signature gatherers, funded by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, collected sufficient petition signatures to place on the November ballot an initiative, Measure D, which would amend the City Charter with regard to Santa Monica Airport.

In response, and at the request of residents, the City Council placed a competing initiative, Measure LC (for “Local Control”), on the November ballot.

The FOSP Board of Directors, the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Democratic Club, and Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR) have all endorsed “Yes on LC, No on D.“

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Measure LC — City Airport Charter Amendment — The City’s measure prohibits new development on Airport land, except for parks, public open spaces, and public recreational facilities, until the voters approve limits on the uses and development. In other words, no new development would be allowed at the Airport without voter approval, except for parks and play fields.

The measure will also allow the City, as owner and proprietor of the Airport, to continue to manage the Airport property, including lease management, exercising the option to close all or part of the Airport (if legally possible), and maintaining and replacing existing cultural, arts, and education uses (for example, the artist studios and Ruskin Theatre on Airport Avenue).

For more information and the actual Measure LC ballot language, visit: http://www.smvote.org/BallotMeasures/detail.aspx?id=48691

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Measure D — Airport Charter Initiative — This aviation lobby-sponsored initiative would amend the City Charter to require that voters approve additional ballot measures, with a majority of the voters of the City voting ”yes,” in order to change aviation land uses to non-aviation use, such as partial or total closure of the runway.

It seems to be designed to maintain the “status quo” and make Airport management extremely difficult for the City, such as installing Runway Safety Areas, restricting the sale of “leaded” aviation gas, leasing airport property currently used for aviation to non-aviation organizations, adding playing fields, or creating more park and public space – in other words, exchanging “neighborhood-incompatible” uses for “neighborhood-compatible” uses. The status quo might appeal to aviation businesses at the Airport, including one that apparently leases property from the City for $200,000 per year, and then subleases that property for $4 million per year.

For more information and the actual Measure D ballot language, visit: http://www.smvote.org/BallotMeasures/detail.aspx?id=47354

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Campaign Committees
By law, the City is prohibited from campaigning for its own ballot measure, so “Yes on Measure LC” is being funded by residents. The campaign committee is the Committee for Local Control of Santa Monica Airport Land (CLCSMAL), and the website URL is ItsOurLand.org

The people who signed the official ballot argument in favor of Measure LC are:
— John Fairweather (founder of Airport2Park.org and CASMAT.org),
— Neil Carrey (former chair of the city’s Recreation and Parks Commission),
— Maryanne LaGuardia (former AYSO Regional Commissioner),
— Ted Winterer (City Council member and former president of the Ocean Park Association), and
— Zina Josephs (president of Friends of Sunset Park).

The “Yes on Measure D” campaign committee has already collected more than $300,000, according to the City Clerk’s web site, and is being almost entirely funded by the Washington, DC-based aviation lobbies — the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (400,000 members) and the National Business Aviation Association (8,000 members).

Their campaign committee is called Santa Monicans for Open and Honest Development Decisions, and their web site URL is smvotersdecide.com

The people who signed the official ballot argument in favor of Measure D are:
— Winston Cenac (realtor),
— Diedre Powell (pilot),
— John Jerabek (aviation advocate),
— Christian Fry (pilot), and
— David J. Hopkins (Founder and Chairman of Air Transport Business Development, Inc., with 25 years of experience that includes selling, leasing and acquiring more than $18 billion worth of jet transports and jet engines, according to the company web site).

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Be Earthquake Prepared:

As Napa and the Bay Area continue to recover from the recent 6.0 earthquake, let it be a reminder to us all to be prepared.

Get a Kit
Make a Plan
Be Informed

For more information, please visit the Office of Emergency Management’s website at http://www.smgov.net/departments/oem/ and make sure you are signed up for SMalerts http://www.smgov.net/Departments/OEM/Stay_Informed.aspx to get crucial information should a disaster strike.

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Santa Monica’s Government Outreach Customer Service Center — http://www.smgov.net/sm_go.aspx
Here you can submit comments, complaints and service requests 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Your request will automatically be sent to the right staff member, and you will receive a tracking number and a response within ten days, though most requests are handled in less time.

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September 2 & October 7 – SMC Board of Trustees – 7 PM – Business Bldg, Rm. 11

September 3 — Movie: “The Dallas Buyers Club” – 6:30 PM – Fairview Library, 21st & Ocean Park Blvd

September 3 — Santa Monica Democratic Club candidate forum – 6 PM — MLK Auditorium, Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. – Candidates for SMMUSD Board of Education, SMC Board of Trustees, Rent Control Board, and City Council. (You have already to be a member to vote on endorsements.)

September 8 – Landmarks Commission – 7 PM – City Hall –
Agenda: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/PCD/Boards-Commissions/Landmarks-Commission/

September 9 & 23 – City Council – 6:30 PM – City Hall – September 9: Bergamot Art Center — Agendas: http://www.smgov.net/departments/clerk/agendas.aspx

September 11 – FOSP meeting – updates on SM Airport, land use decisions being made in the city, and other issues of concern — 7 PM – Mt. Olive Church parish hall – 14th & Ocean Park Blvd.

September 11 – Rent Control Board — http://www.smgov.net/Current_Board_Meetings.aspx

September 15 – Architectural Review Board – 7 PM – City Hall – Agenda: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/PCD/Boards-Commissions/Architectural-Review-Board/

September 17 & 22, October 1 — Planning Commission – 7 PM – City Hall —
September 22: Pedestrian Action Plan workshop — http://www.smgov.net/Departments/PCD/Plans/Pedestrian-Action-Plan/ — Powerpoint: http://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/PCD/Plans/Pedestrian-Action-Plan/Workshop-1.pdf — Agendas: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/PCD /Boards-Commissions/Planning-Commission/

September 18 – Housing Commission – 4:30 PM – Main Library — Agenda: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/HED/Housing_and_Redevelopment/Housing/Housing_Commission_Agendas/Housing_Commission.aspx

September 18 & October 2 — SMMUSD Board of Education – 5:30 PM — District Office –
Agenda: http://www.smmusd.org/board/meetings.html

September 18 – Recreation & Parks Commission — 7:30 PM – City Hall –
Agenda: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/CCS/content.aspx?id=31987

September 20 – Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution City Council Candidate Forum – Noon to 3 PM — Forum will focus on the issues surrounding Santa Monica Airport from the impacted residential communities’ perspective. – Santa Monica Business Park, 3250 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 160

September 22 – League of Women Voters of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Next — City Council candidate forum – 6:30 PM – MLK Aud, Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. — Community members can submit questions to league@lwvsantamonica.org

September 22 — Airport Commission — 7:30 PM – Location: TBD — Agenda: http://www.smgov.net/departments/airport/commission/default.aspx?id=45320

October 1 — League of Women Voters of Santa Monica – Candidate Forum — 6 PM — SMC Board of Trustees. 7:45 – SMMUSD Board of Education — SMMUSD District Office, 2nd floor Board Room, 1651 16th Street. CityTV will tape these forums for replay on cable, and the videos will also be posted on www.SMVote.org — Community members can submit questions to league@lwvsantamonica.org

City of Santa Monica Event Calendar:

http://calendar.smgov.net/city/eventcalendar.asp

Fairview Library — 2101 Ocean Park Blvd.
   – Bridge on Mondays at 12 PM
   – Write-Away on Tuesdays at 12 PM
   – What’s New This Week? on Thursdays at 1 PM

Santa Monica Public Library Calendar:

http://smpl.org/Programs_and_Events.aspx

Pico Branch Library hours:

Monday-Thursday 12 to 9 PM; Friday 12 to 5:30 PM;
Saturday 10 AM to 5:30 PM; Closed on Sunday

Library Calendar of Events for September:
http://smpl.org/uploadedFiles/Library/Programs_and_Events/September2014Calendar.pdf

Reminders:

Reminder: Report sightings of coyotes and other invasive wildlife
to the city’s Animal Shelter at shelter@smgov.net or 310-458-8594.

1. Police – www.SantaMonicaPD.org
   a. Non-emergency dispatch – 310-458-8491
   b. Neighborhood Resource Officer – Erik Milosevich – Erik.Milosevich@smgov.net
   c. Crime Prevention Officer – Lauralee Asch – lauralee.asch@smgov.net
   d. Graffiti Hotline: 310-458-2231
   e. Recycling Theft Hotline: 310-458-4932
   f. Crime mapping: http://gismap.santa-monica.org/crimeviewcommunity/
   g. SMPD Community Affairs video –
       https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFScj6m8k6U&feature=youtu.be

2. SM Airport – http://www.smgov.net/Departments/Airport/
   a. Noise Hotline – 310-458-8692
   b. Email noise complaints to: Noise@smgov.net – List date, time, your location, and complaint.
   c. Online noise complaint form: http://www.smgov.net/departments/airport/form.aspx?ekfrm=8886
   c. Flight Tracking: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/Airport/For_Our_Neighbors/Flight_Tracking_/_PublicVue.aspx
   d. Additional info: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/Airport/

3. Lost Pets – If you lose a pet or find a lost pet, contact the Animal Shelters:
   a. Santa Monica — 1640 9th St. — 310-458-8594 — shelter@smgov.net
       http://santamonicapd.org/content.aspx?id=10427
   b. West Los Angeles — 11361 W. Pico (near Sawtelle) — 888-452-7381