By John Nachbar

City Manager

• 4th of July Fireworks Show – The Culver City Exchange Club’s annual 4th of July Fireworks Show will resume at West Los Angeles College on the evening of Friday, July 4th. Gates open at 4:00 pm, and fireworks begin at dusk. The City is a co-sponsor of this event. For more information visit: http://culvercityfireworksshow.com/

• Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival - The first of six free concerts will take place on Thursday, July 10th at 7:00 pm in the City Hall Courtyard. Andre Thierry and Zydeco Magic will be performing. This Grammy nominated artist will bring a mix of traditional Creole Music and new, modern sounds. More information about this performer can be found at: http://boulevardmusic.com/livemusic/528.html.

The concert series is produced by Gary Mandell of Boulevard Music and co-sponsored by the City of Culver City. For sponsorship opportunities, reserved seating information, and additional information, please call Boulevard Music at (310) 398-2583 or visit: http://www.boulevardmusic.com/

Community Development

• Nordstrom Rack Remodel - Plans were submitted on June 3rd, to renovate nearly 25,000 square feet of the interior first and second floors of Nordstrom Rack at Westfield Culver City.

• Menorah Housing – Menorah Housing passed its final inspection on June 12th for work to renovate a residential apartment located at 5166 Sepulveda Blvd. The project involved the replacement of exterior windows, doors and a new canopy.

http://www.dental50plus.com/143 #6258">

• Beats by Dr. Dre - Beats by Dr. Dre, located at 8501 Steller Drive, passed its final inspection. The 11,100 square feet of work included reroofing, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliance upgrades and the replacement of doors.

• Sunny Blue Restaurant - Plans were submitted for a 750 square foot build-out for a future Sunny Blue restaurant, coming to 12606 Washington Boulevard. Sunny Blue will offer fast, healthy Japanese food.

• Menchie’s Opens - Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt is now open at the corner of Main Street and Culver Boulevard.

• Summer Solstice Event - The Culver City Arts District, a unique collection of art galleries, creative businesses, specialty stores and restaurants, will present its first annual Summer Solstice event on Saturday, June 21st from Noon to 7:00 pm. The Culver City Arts District is located on Washington Boulevard between Helms and Fairfax Avenues. The Summer Solstice event will celebrate the longest day of the year with a free self-guided tour of art galleries, musical performances throughout the day at various venues, children’s arts and crafts, and special discounts at several area restaurants and shops. For more information visit: http://www.culvercityartsdistrict.com.

• Master Agreement - On June 23rd, the City Council will consider a Master Agreement which should expedite the use of pre-2011 bond proceeds on behalf of the Successor Agency.

• Downtown Business Association (dba) - The DBA’s Memorandum of Understanding regarding downtown maintenance will be presented to the City Council on June 23rd for its consideration.

• Parcel B – The City has executed a License Agreement with Brand New School for the use of Parcel B as a base camp for a Ford Motor Company television commercial. A License Agreement was also executed with Magnetic Collaborative for the use of Parcel B and the adjacent closed-off roadway to promote the next season of Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” to be held on Saturday afternoon, June 21, 2014 from Noon to 6:00 p.m. The promotional event includes an audio-video presentation highlighting episodes from the upcoming season and free frozen yogurt.

• Former Fire Station No. 3 - On June 9th, the City Council approved a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Thomas James Capital to sell the former Fire Station No. 3, located at 11304 Segrell Way. Escrow has opened and will close within 60 days. Thomas James Capital indicated it will take 3-4 months to demolish the existing building and to construct the three single family houses that will replace it.

• Media Park Coffee - A final draft of the LAMILL Coffee sublease to operate a coffee concession business in Media Park has been completed. On June 23, 2014, the sublease terms and conditions will be considered by the City Council.

• Fiber Optics Outreach - On June 12, 2014, the City conducted its fourth and final fiber optics outreach meeting to property and business owners of the Transit Oriented District of the Smiley/Blackwelder area.

• Wheel House Cheese Store Opens - The West Washington Boulevard revitalization continues with the opening of Wheel House Cheese Store on June 7. The store features 100 different cheeses from around the world. Operated by owner Alex Josef and Steve Jones, who owns The Cheese Bar in Portland, Oregon, the store includes charcuterie, jams, spreads and crackers in addition to cheeses. The store has everything except the alcohol to throw a first class cheese party on the Westside. Take a look around the space and fill up your basket with some delicious items. Located at 12956 West Washington Boulevard, the store is open from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

• Affair of the Arts - The Whole 9 reports that attendance to the second Affair of the Arts festival, held the weekend of June 7-8, increased by 30% on Saturday and 10% on Sunday over last year’s event.

Fire Department

• Technical Rescue Training - On June 8th, the Culver City Fire Department conducted a technical rescue drill simulating a construction worker injury in a below-grade area. The drill involved over 13 firefighters and utilized specialized equipment. The drill scenario required firefighters to stabilize, secure, and extricate a simulated patient from a below grade hazardous environment at a construction site. The Culver City Fire Department conducts over 22,000 hours of training annually.

• Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Training – On June 11th, an “Introduction to the EOC” and “Disaster Preparedness Training” was conducted for staff that has been newly assigned a position in the EOC. There were 15 employees in attendance from the Police, Public Works, Community Development, and Finance departments.

• Fire Station Tour – On June 13th, a group of children visited Fire Station #1. The 31 preschoolers were provided a tour of the station and learned about the various fire apparatus and pieces of equipment through firefighter demonstrations.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

• Veterans Memorial Building and Rental Operations – Upcoming events in Veterans Memorial Auditorium include the Angel City Derby Girls on June 21st (www.angelcityderby.com); Culver EXPO 2014, presented by the Culver City Chamber of Commerce on June 25th (http://www.culvercitychamber.com/); and the Culver City Rock & Mineral Club’s Fiesta of Gems on June 28th & 29th (www.CulverCityRocks.org).

• Culver City Historical Society – The Culver City Historical Society presents a panel discussion on “The Creation of Culver City High School and its First Graduating Class ‘53” at the next general meeting on July 16th at 7:00 pm in the Multipurpose Room at Veterans Memorial Building. All members of the Culver City Historical Society and the public are welcome. More information is available by calling the Society at (310) 253-6941, inquiring by email at info@culvercityhistoricalsociety.org, or visiting the Society’s website at: http://culvercityhistoricalsociety.org/.

• Parks – Fox Hills Pride Day was once again a big success this year. 20 volunteers showed up to spruce up the park by pulling weeds, picking up trash and enjoying a good time while supporting their community park. The PRCS Department appreciates the effort and hard work of everyone involved and a big thank you to Mayor Meghan Sahli-Wells and Councilmember Jim Clarke for rolling up their sleeves and using the rakes and hula garden hoes this year. As always, thanks to the Fox Hills Neighborhood Association for its ongoing efforts year-round.

Police Department

• Meeting with Westfield Mall - On June 17, 2014 Chief Scott Bixby and the Command Staff met with General Manager Don Ziss to discuss training opportunities and the upcoming National Night Out, which they sponsor last year.

Public Works

• REMINDER: Plastic Bag Ban Outreach Compliance on June 27, 2014 – The Culver City Reusable Bag Ordinance 2013-006 will effect smaller grocery stores on June 27, 2014. The Ordinance is intended to reduce the amount of single use plastic bags in the environment and bans the use of them at stores meeting certain criteria as well as requiring a 10¢ charge for each paper carryout bag sold to a customer at such stores. Supermarkets and large retail stores with a pharmacy have been required to comply since December 28, 2013. Smaller grocery stores and convenience stores have until June 27, 2014 to comply. This effort is one of many single use plastic carryout bag bans adopted in California with many more jurisdictions following suit.

For more information on the types of stores with a compliance date on December 28, 2013 or June 27, 2014, visit our webpage at http://culvercity.org/recycle

• REMINDER: Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Roundup on June 28, 2014 – Culver City residents will have the opportunity to safely dispose of household hazardous waste and electronic waste free of charge at a Countywide Household Hazardous and E-Waste Roundup. The Roundup will take place in Culver City at the Wende Museum Front Parking Lot, 10808 Culver Boulevard (enter on Culver Boulevard at Elenda Street).

Leave the products in their original container, place them in a cardboard box and drive to the Roundup site. The entire process only takes a few minutes and you never have to leave your car. Do not mix products together. No explosive or radioactive materials, tires or waste from business will be accepted.

The Free Countywide Household Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Roundup is brought to you by the County of Los Angeles and presented by the Department of Public Works and the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County in cooperation with the City of Culver City Public Works Environmental Programs and Operations Division.

For more information on household hazardous waste or upcoming Roundups, call the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works at 1 (888) Clean LA, the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County at 1 (800) 238-0172 or visit http://www.lacsd.org.

• Public Works Receives Additional Safety Assessment through OTS –

Through a collaboration with UC Berkeley, the Public Works Department was selected to receive a Bicycle Safety Assessment (BSA) through the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS). The site visit for the Pedestrian Safety Assessment (PSA) took place on May 30th.

The City of Culver City received notice that the second assessment awarded, the BSA, will focus on bicycle safety in select areas within the City. The priority areas of focus include:

• The Metro Expo Line Station to downtown Culver City through Washington Boulevard

• La Ballona Creek Bike Bath at Duquesne Avenue

• Elenda Street from La Ballona Elementary School to Farragut Elementary School

• Bicycle Areas identified in the Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan

The assessment will be conducted by transportation planning consultants from Fehr and Peers. Using their observations of the BSA throughout the day and the preparation meetings before the site visit, the consultants will compile their recommendations into a final report for the City. At the end of this process, the City will have two reports with recommendations, providing suggestions for pedestrian and bicycle access enhancements at the surveyed areas.

• Environmental Sustainability in the Community – Public Works Environmental Programs and Operations (EPO) and the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition (SBBEC) along with several other local municipalities are working together to encourage and inspire environmental sustainability in our communities. This effort encourages Culver City businesses (any size or type) to apply for the 2014 SoCal Environmental Excellence Development (SEED) awards program. The application deadline has been extended to June 27, 2014.

There are several categories that are recognized by the SEED awards that a business could be nominated for:

• Environmental Leadership

• Pollution Prevention

• Education and Outreach

• Resource Preservation

• Innovation

• Bridge-Builder Award

Visit the website at http://www.sbbec.org/pages/category.asp?id=15 or download the application at: http://www.sbbec.org/_uploads/docs/2014SEEDApp.pdf

• Expo Update: Traffic Impacts Due to Reconstruction of Venice Boulevard Median – As part of the construction of Phase 2 of the Expo Light Rail Line, work crews will begin the median reconstruction along Venice Boulevard. The work is being managed and performed by the Expo Phase 2 design-build contractor Skanska-Rados, Joint Venture (SRJV) and its subcontractors.

Where: Median along Venice Boulevard (between Culver Boulevard and National Boulevard)

When: June 2014 through Mid-July 2014

Hours: 6:00 am – 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday

9:00 pm – 6:00 am, Sunday – Thursday

Work Description:

The widening of Venice Boulevard will include the reconstruction of the center median, along with some street light work. Median reconstruction will entail saw cutting and removal of the existing asphalt and concrete median, followed by the construction of a new median to accommodate the future reconfiguration of traffic lanes on Westbound Venice Boulevard. Additional street improvements will follow the median reconstruction and will include sidewalk/roadway work, and installation of storm drains, catch basins, fire hydrants, traffic signals and street lighting. Supplemental notices will be issued as needed.

Traffic Impacts:

• Due to the new K-Rail placement:

• Eastbound Venice Boulevard will be temporarily reduced to two lanes of traffic between Robertson Boulevard and National Boulevard during the median reconstruction period.

• The crosswalk on the west side of National Boulevard at Venice Boulevard will be temporarily closed during the median reconstruction. The crosswalk on the east side of the street will remain open.

• Additional lane closures may be implemented during nighttime hours for street light work.

• Traffic lanes will remain open to through traffic during daytime hours, with most work occurring in the median behind the concrete barriers.

• Directional signage and/or flaggers will be used to safely direct vehicles and pedestrians around the construction zone.

• Pedestrian access will be maintained at all times.

Advisories:

• Parking restrictions will be strictly enforced at all times and signage with specific restrictions will be in place in all construction areas.

• Local access to businesses and residences will be maintained throughout all construction activities.

• Noise levels will be monitored to ensure work performed is within the necessary compliance levels.

• Please obey all posted construction signs and do not enter the construction work zone.

Contact Information

Hotline (213) 922-EXPO

Exposition Construction Authority (213) 243-5534

Skanska-Rados Joint Venture (310) 500-1485

(Construction schedules are subject to change for various reasons including but not limited to: weather conditions, unforeseen emergencies and other acts of nature.)

Transportation

• City of Culver City Named an “Elite Fleet” by Government Fleet Magazine in North America 2014 - The City of Culver City has been named as an Elite Fleet after achieving the #1 Best Municipal Fleet in North America recognition by the 100 Best Fleets National Fleet Certification/Recognition program in 2013. Government Fleet publication representatives presented Culver City with this prestigious award at the Government Fleet Expo & Conference held in San Diego earlier this month. This achievement is awarded to only one of a large number of public fleet organizations in recognition of outstanding contributions and leadership, particularly in the advancement of accountability, efficiencies, and advanced technologies. Award-winning fleets must maintain high operational standards while demonstrating consistent sustainability practices. Only previously #1 ranked fleets can participate in the Elite Fleet program which identifies only the best of the best. Since the inception of this program, only five municipal fleets have been name an Elite Fleet.

Culver City’s Equipment Maintenance Division Staff

Photo of the Plaque