Foster Care and Recycling among Issues Council Tackles

By Mark McGuigan
Staff Writer

August 27 -- Council members tackled a menu of issues Tuesday night, giving unanimous approval to a YWCA foster care facility to increase the number of beds it provides while delaying the construction of a new solid waste recycling and transfer facility.

Under the current City Zoning Ordinance, the 70-year old YWCA facility at 2019 14th Street is currently in a single family residential district and is limited to providing six beds to young women over the age of 18 who have been emancipated from foster care.

In requesting the restriction to be lifted, City staff compared the foster facility to a domestic violence shelter -- both protect and educate young adults while providing a temporary home.

But since a domestic violence shelter is not limited to the number of residents it can accommodate in a residential zone, staff recommended easing the restrictions on the YWCA to provide another six beds at the facility, bringing the total to twelve.

Speaking on behalf of the YWCA, Executive Director Sally Young said that the residential facility had an important place in the community, offering a refuge to young women who may otherwise be forced to live on the streets.

“At age 18, young women full of hope potential and drive are dumped onto the streets,” Young said. “It is estimated that two-thirds of the population are pregnant or parenting within two years after leaving foster care. What happens to those young women with ambition and a dream to further their education?

“Because of the YWCA and the past support of the City of Santa Monica and many private donors, young women emancipated from the foster care system can now live at YWCA while they attend school full-time, work part-time, save for their future -- we are their home away from home,” she said.

The council unanimously approved the recommendation to increase the number of beds at the facility without any need for discussion.

On the issue of recycling and trash collection however, the City Council rejected staff's recommendation to proceed with a new solid waste recycling and transfer facility to be built on the current 228,357-square-foot site at the Corporate Yard on Michigan Avenue.

Following a three-and-a-half hour discussion that included input from the public, council members directed staff to conduct a study session to evaluate the benefits of continuing city operation of the facility, instead of contracting out the service to a private firm.

City staff had previously considered partnering with Southern California Disposal for transfer services, but instead recommended that the city build a new facility -- at a cost of approximately $7.5 to $8.0 million -- to ensure continued control of recycling and transfer operations.

According to the staff report “constructing a new City recycling and transfer facility remains the most prudent and responsible approach to meet the future solid waste and recycling needs of the City.”

But council requested additional information on the issue of building a new facility and directed staff to include in the study session a discussion outlining franchising alternatives, land uses and other potential options not limited to the Southern California Disposal proposal.

On Tuesday night, the council also took the following actions:

• Approved on first reading an ordinance to allow unattended private displays in Palisades Park during the month of December. The displays would be on a first-come, first-served basis -- irrespective of content -- in areas designated by City Council resolution.
  
• Approved contracts for the construction and construction management of the Virginia Avenue Park expansion project and adjacent street improvements -- slated to start in September and finish in 18 months -- reducing the construction contingency amount to 10 percent of the contract. The project calls for constructing new basketball courts, playgrounds, an interactive water feature, additional parking, restrooms, crosswalks and street improvements, and renovating existing buildings.
  
• Directed staff to work with representatives of Delta Sigma Theta Head Start preschool -- located on 20th and Delaware Avenue -- to assist the school in finding alternative off-street parking solutions in the area for teachers including remote city lots. School officials had requested preferential parking permits for the teachers.
  
• Postponed a decision on where to place a community room in the proposed six-story parking structure destined for the Civic Center in the lot south of the public safety facility adjacent to 4th Street. The parking structure -- to begin construction this spring following regulatory approvals -- will create 880 parking spaces.
  
• Postponed appointments to the Architectural Review Board and Disabilities Commission. However the council accepted the resignations of Robert Posek from the Landmarks Commission and Doris Sosin from the Recreation and Parks Commission.
  

The council also donated obsolete fire equipment to a local fire academy training program; accepted more than $400,000 in homeland security grant funds to bolster Santa Monica public safety emergency equipment and supplies, and confirmed the Child Care and Early Education Task Force as a "local council" eligible to apply for a federal early learning opportunities act grant.

Council members adjourned the meeting in memory of Vivien Evans, mother of Judy Rambeau, Assistant to the City Manager for Community Relations. Mrs. Evans died on Monday, August 26, 2003 and is survived by her husband, two daughters, grandchildren and a host of loving friends and family.

Report from Closed Session

The City Council voted unanimously to settle three cases of litigation. The first, filed by the developers of 2000 Main Street, was settled by bifurcating the building permit from specialty permits, establishing a processing schedule, meeting and conferring on the terms of the agreement and requiring the developer to demolish the existing building within 30 days of receipt of permits and to dismiss the appeal.

The second case of litigation approved by the council was a settlement with the owners of 606 Broadway regarding the City's affordable housing requirement for the site, agreeing to hold the case in abeyance and resolving it under the terms of another case pending against the City.

In the third instance, Council approved a settlement regarding 1535 Ocean Avenue, allowing the applicant to proceed with the existing alcohol permit for the site.