March 1, 2013

City Manager’s Office

· Evaluation of Alternatives to the Committee on Permits and Licenses: In an effort to streamline and improve coordination of certain special event and business tax certificate permitting processes, the City Manager’s Office is coordinating a staff working group to explore alternatives to the decades old Committee on Permits and Licenses process. The evaluation will include discussions on how to avoid duplication, improve turn-around time, reduce allocation of staff resources, and maintain/improve the current opportunity of the public to comment and participate in the process.

· Evaluation of the Encroachment Permit Process: With the assistance of the Department of Public Works, the City Manager’s Office is coordinating a review of the existing encroachment permit process. The current process requires the City Council to take action on encroachment permits. Since that provision of the Culver City Municipal Code was enacted several decades ago, State law has changed such that an administrative process for such permits may be appropriate.

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Community Development Department

· Tilden Terrace – As of January 30 the project is 75% complete. Outreach announcing the application/leasing process for the Project will commence on March 25. Advertisements announcing the availability of applications will be placed in the local papers and flyers which will be distributed to local churches, community organizations, the Culver City School District, Culver City schools and the Julian Dixon Library. Applications will be distributed March 8 to March 15 between the hours of 9 am to 3 pm at the Veterans Memorial Building. All applications must be submitted in person at the Veterans Memorial Building from March 11 through March 22, between the hours of 9 am to 3 pm and only one application per household. Three workshops will be held (time and place to be announced at a later date) to assist applicants with filling out their application and to address any question about the application/leasing process. Only 32 very-low, low and moderate income units (one, two and three bedrooms) are available. With the tremendous need for affordable housing, it is anticipated application submittals will be in the thousands. The application process will be based on a lottery, with preference given to persons who live and/or work in Culver City. The lottery will take place the week of March 25. Ity will be open to the public and impartial persons from the City and LAHP staff and the Tellefson Neighborhood Association will pull and witness the selected lottery numbers. Applicants whose lottery numbers are selected will be notified in writing within 48 hours. After an applicant’s lottery number is selected, the household must verify their household income/composition and preference of living and/or working in Culver City, if applicable. All selected applicants must also undergo a credit and criminal background check prior to final selection.

· Blackwelder Culver City Partners – Plans have been submitted for a partial change of use with added square footage located at 5900 Blackwelder Street.

· Yo Ku Man Yogurt – A permit has been issued for a new yogurt and coffee shop located at 10814 Jefferson Boulevard.

· Pho Zone – Work has been completed for a new restaurant located at 5407 Sepulveda Boulevard.

· Westfield Culver City – Plans have been submitted for a new retail clothing store, Pink by Victoria’s Secret.

· Beats By Dre – Plans have been submitted for structural framing work located at 8476 Stellar Drive.

· Smashbox Studios / Cosmetics – Plans have been approved for a renovation of the existing office space to allow for a production facility located at 8538 Warner Drive.

· Platform Project – Plans have been submitted for demolition of an existing one-story auto dealership and construction of new five-story type IIA parking structure with retail on the first floor and artist loft on the third and fourth floors located at 8850 Washington Boulevard.

· 4043 Irving Place – The project is approximately 54% complete and on budget. Scheduled for completion June 30.

· Washington/Centinela – Staff prepared a scope of work for a complete traffic study for the Market Hall project and remitted it to the developer for review.

· Economic Development Strategy – Staff provided an update to the City Council on February 11 and will be hosting two outreach meetings with Culver City residents on February 28 and March 7. A draft report is anticipated to be completed by April.

· Bevmo! - On February 25 the City Council approved an amendment to Office Depot’s Disposition and Development Agreement to allow Bevmo! to sublease approximately 8,546 square feet.

· 11304 Segrell Way and 10745 Cranks Road - On March 26 it is anticipated that City Council will consider issuing a request for qualifications seeking an experienced, local broker to assist in the disposition of the City-owned property.

· New Restaurant Openings

- LA Spice – A catering company, has opened their brick and mortar café serving breakfast, lunch, and early dinner Monday to Saturday, from 8 am to 8 pm and Sunday from 8 am to 4 pm. The café is located at 4357 Sepulveda Boulevard. For more information go to: http://www.laspicecatering.com/

- WildCraft Sourdough Pizza – The team behind Abigaile in Hermosa Beach has opened a new neighborhood pizza pub across from City Hall, located at 9725 Culver Boulevard. For more information go to: http://wildcraftpizza.com/

- LYFE Kitchen – Love Your Food Everyday has opened a "lifestyle restaurant" that combines natural ingredients with sustainable practices. LYFE Kitchen is a project by former global president and COO of McDonald's Corporation, Mike Roberts, and former Chief Communications and External Relations Officer at McDonald's USA, Mike Donahue. For more information go to: http://lyfekitchen.com/

Fire Department

· Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience Pilot Project (LACCDR) - The City of Culver City is one of 16 cities selected by the County of Los Angeles to participate in the Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience Pilot Project (LACCDR).

· Lindberg Park Neighborhood Watch - This is a very active community group within the City. They realize that in the event of a significant disaster, resources will be emphasized and that planning and preparedness are of the utmost importance. Using the resources in their community, e.g. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members and active membership, they have created databases that outline all of their skilled community members (e.g. doctors, nurses, plumbers, electricians, etc.), have two way radios and activation instructions, have held fundraisers to purchase a cache of first aid supplies and are continually re-evaluating their community’s needs. Word of their success has travelled throughout the City. Now, the Culver Crest, Raintree and Tellefson Park Neighborhood Watch Groups are ramping up to do the same.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

· Recreation – Friday, March 1 is Global Happiness Day. The ninth Global Happiness Awards will be held at the French Consul’s Residence in Beverly Hills to honor celebrities Usher, Mary J. Blige and Quincy Jones. This charity event raises money for various causes including Palliative Cancer Care and the Culver City Teen Center. For more information, visit www.happycharity.org

· Senior and Social Services – The glamorous Ms. Senior California of America pageant will once again take place at the Culver City Senior Center on Sunday, March 10l beginning at 1:30 pm. Admission is $5 to the public and free to members of the Culver City Senior Citizens Association.

“Retiring the Keys: When Should You Stop Driving?” an educational workshop for Baby Boomers and their parents will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 10 am to 11:30 am. in the Veterans Memorial Building Rotunda Room. For further information contact Jill Thomsen at jill.thomsen@culvercity.org or (310) 253-6722.

Police Department

· Neighborhood Watch Meeting - On February 19 Lieutenant Ron Iizuka, Animal Services Officer Corolla Fleeger and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Christine Parra of the Fire Department met with the Tellefson Park Neighborhood Association. The meeting covered animal services, disaster preparedness and current crime trends.

· Police Station Tour-On February 27 Reserve Officer Collin Gilbert hosted a visit of the Police Station for the students of Linwood E. Howe. The visit included a brief presentation on safety and a tour of the police station.

· Culver High Students Community Outreach -On February 27 seven members of the Culver City High Service club came to the Police Department to get a tour of the station and to learn what the Police Department does.

· Neighborhood Watch Meeting-Culver Crest -On February 26 Lieutenant Iizuka met with the Culver Crest Neighborhood Association and discussed recent crime trends and disaster preparedness. The meeting was well attended.

Public Works Department

· Tree Planting Grant Award – The Public Works Department was notified that the City has been awarded a $150,000 grant from Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’ Competitive Tree Planting Grant Program administered by the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District. This grant will fund the planting of approximately 300 trees in vacant locations in parkways and parks throughout the City, and will also contribute to the tree establishment costs for the first two years after planting.

· Urban Forest Management Plan Grant Award – The Public Works Department was also notified that the City has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) to fund the creation of an Urban Forest Management and Tree Succession Plan. The grant will be matched with $25,000 in City resources ($15,000 hard match and $10,000 of in-kind staff time).

· Scheduled Bike Path Maintenance – The Public Works Department conducted maintenance on the Ballona Creek Bike Path. The scheduled work consisted of removing graffiti from the bridges and bridge abutments and pressure washing the Bike Path from approximately National Boulevard to Overland Avenue, both of which are the City’s responsibility to maintain. .

· Request for Public Assistance with Damage or Theft to City Assets - Recently, cooper wiring has been stolen from City street lights. There has also been an increase in street name sign thefts. The Public Works Department would like to ask the public for assistance in reporting damage to or theft of City infrastructure or other assets, such as: street lights, street name signs, traffic signs, City-owned facilities, traffic signals, and parkway and median trees.

To report any damage to City infrastructure or assets or to report suspicious activity, please contact the Culver City Police Department at (310) 837-1221 (non-emergency phone number) or the Public Works Department’s Maintenance Operations Division at (310) 253-6420.

Transportation

· Pilot Downtown Shuttle Request for Proposals - On February 25 Transportation Department issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Pilot Downtown Shuttle Service Operator to operate pilot service that will shuttle passengers between the Hayden Tract business district, the Exposition Light Rail Culver City Station and the Culver City downtown area. The service is anticipated to begin in July for a period of 36 weeks (9 months). The proposals are due to the City Clerk’s Office no later than 3 pm on Thursday, March 28. More information may be obtained by going to: http://www.culvercity.org/Services/BidNotices.aspx.