Remarks by Dan Hall
47 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 2
Great. Mayor, could I also move that we hear 12A, the public hearing for the development agreement, immediately following closed session, so Mayor Pro Temswick can participate? That sounds like a friendly amendment. Is it?
Mayor, I don't need a staff report unless anyone else wants it. I just have some questions for staff.
Thank you for being here tonight. I just had a question, and maybe it's a big one, but we're on our fourth modification to this contract now, several millions of dollars of overrun, and I just have to ask, what are we doing here? Why has this gone so far over what we had originally budgeted?
Okay, great. That answered my next question. So I'm glad we're starting to look at that a little more holistically. I just worry that sorry, I know we're getting into comments a little bit. But I just worry that we're, we could have built them an entirely new facility almost at this price. And maybe it could have been better. I mean, you're the architect, not me, but I just want to make sure we're not getting into like a sunk cost fallacy situation here where things just keep coming up and, you know, every couple years we're going back for another modification to the agreement. So hopefully…
I'll move 4B, the staff recommendation. And thank you.
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Okay. If there was, I did not catch that.
New speaker I'll second the motion to move the staff recommendation.
New speakers. I'll just say that's not friendly to the seconder. I hear you. I support the notion. I think we should give direction to staff to explore that and potentially come back with an amendment to our ordinance as opposed to doing something different for one D.a. WHEN WE'VE ALREADY PASSED SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR D.A.s FOR THE OTHER SIGNS.
Thank you, Mayor. I'd like to move the staff recommendation. Second.
I don't understand what you're asking for here because it sounds like staff is saying that we already do that and we will continue to do that. It's that we're changing when that happens so that when a property owner has a project in their head, they're getting it approved or at least like, you know, a first glance by staff first to make sure that it's like an actual project. and then this step that you're thinking about is happening after that point, so people are getting feedback on something that's actually going to happen and can happen as opposed to just some crazy idea that a property…
I think our director just said that we do have that process. We're just changing when it happens. Yes.
And let me see here all right nope I think that's it for now Councilman hall thank you mayor I just wanted to build off of councilmember degretti's question around what happens if you know the employee
Got it. That's helpful clarification. Thank you.
New speaker thank you, mayor. Sorry. I just wanted to say thank you to staff on this. We, meaning City Hall staff, y'all, have done a ton of work this year. A lot of it around the realignment plan, of course, and I'm very proud of all of it, but I'm particularly happy with and grateful for this body of work. Because while we've had a back to the basics approach to delivering services, it could have been very easy to lose sight of some of the very programs and initiatives that make Santa Monica so special as a place and how we continue to find ways to fund types of programs like this. And I…
Chief, can you give a quick recap of the work that's already been done to prepare with like our storm drains, both at the beach and then storm drains on our streets and everything like that?
Got it. And then last question, at least for now. I believe the report said there were 85 or 89, 85 properties that are in like the high risk zone for flooding for high tides. Do we do anything special for outreach to those individuals?
Thank you. I remembered my other question. The pier. At one point we had a pretty significant El Nino event and we lost half the pier. Have we taken a look at structural assessments and everything like that recently?
Thank you, Mayor. As far as ex parte disclosures go, I met in person with the representative of the applicant, Nina Fresco, at the request on October 15th, and I also spoke with her today via the phone and received text messages from her and Ruthann Lehrer regarding the application. I also visited the site today.
Seeing none, I'll abstain because I didn't hear the motion.
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
And do we have confirmation if that happened?
Okay, got it. So that HRI found this property significant for, quote, early patterns of residential development that shaped the Pico neighborhood, end quote. Has any later evidence been discovered since 2018 that might overturn that ruling or...
So in our landmarks ordinance, criterion one, does that criterion require a building to have caused later development?
Okay. So there's no catalyst test in our municipal code.