Culver City Observer -

Community Development

• Innovation Week (October 2-22, 2015) - Economic Development staff is collaborating with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) to bring Innovation Week to Culver City. The second annual event will feature more than 100 events throughout Los Angeles County that highlight innovative and creative enterprises. For more information, please visit http://www.innovate.la/.

The following events are confirmed for Culver City:

October 9, 2015 – NextSpace (co-working space) (12 pm to 3 pm)

October 13, 2015 – Ehrlich Architects (architecture) (5 pm to 7 pm)

October 21, 2015 – 8i (virtual reality/3D video) (5 pm to 7 pm)

• Business Outreach Visitation - Economic Development staff conducted a business outreach visitation with 8i, a virtual reality company that has recently located to Culver City. 8i is transforming conventional communication by converting standard digital videos into vivid 3D video that immerses users into the video or game with realistic imagery and movement.

• Washington-National Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Project - The City has executed a second amendment to the Implementation Agreement between the City and the developer to allow additional time for environmental remediation at the project site. The City continues to work with the developer’s environmental team, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Alpha Environmental to complete the environmental remediation work at 8801 Washington Boulevard. The environmental consultant performing the remediation is commencing the final soil samplings and is preparing to submit a Closure Request to the Water Board.

• Parking Structure Maintenance Contract – The City will evaluate the contract renewal for pressure washing and miscellaneous janitorial services for the three downtown parking structures. The current service contract expires on December 31st.

• Washington-Centinela – The City hosted a meeting with the developer and its traffic consultant to discuss the plans, newsletter, public meetings and offsite improvements for this project. The City is drafting a Reciprocal Easement Agreement, Parking License Agreement, and Construction Contract for the project, and the developer is now working to complete the tasks required pursuant to the 11th Implementation Agreement.

• Hayden Tract Spur – The City has issued a Notice to Proceed to KOA/CBM for design of the Hayden Tract Spur parking lot project.

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) - The City will host a planning meeting with CDBG Administration staff on October 21 to discuss and identify the City’s CDBG funds allocations for Fiscal Year 2016/2017. Staff is preparing for departmental project funding requests and the annual CDBG Advisory Committee meeting for Fiscal Year 2016/2017. Staff is also drafting its CDBG Program Guidelines, as required by CDBG Administration.

• Long Range Property Management Plan (LRMP) - The City is currently working to transfer all eligible former Redevelopment Agency properties to the City pursuant to the LRPMP, as approved by the California Department of Finance on March 18, 2014, including the following properties:

1. Kirk Douglas Theatre: The City is prepared to transfer this property from the Successor Agency to the City.

2. Ivy Substation: The City is preparing to transfer the lease with the City of Los Angeles from the Successor Agency to the City.

3. Media Park: The City is preparing to transfer the lease with the City of Los Angeles for the Media Park property from the Successor Agency to the City.

4. Cardiff Parking Structure: The City is transferring this parking structure from the Parking Authority back to Successor Agency by order of the California State Controller. The property will then be transferred from Successor Agency to City pursuant to LRPMP.

5. 3433 Wesley Street: The City will convey the property to the adjacent owner pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement that was recently executed. Escrow has been opened.

6. WE-606: The City has executed documents to effectuate the conveyance of a portion of the 3433 Wesley property known as WE-606 to the City for use as public roadway. The transfer documents must now be recorded.

• Culver City Businesses in the News –

1. NFL Network and Snapchat sign content deal to broadcast user images of all 32 NFL Teams (USA Today, September 17th)

2. Original Force Animation in Culver City aims to tap into vast Chinese box office (LA Times, September 17th)

3. Weekend All Things Considered’ leaving LA so soon. (LA Observed, September 18th)

• Symantec – A final building inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on September 16 for a 1,125 square foot tenant improvement to demolish a non-load bearing demising wall (or partition wall) between two conference rooms to create one large conference room and construct new walls to create a data room within the existing space of a building at 800 Corporate Pointe.

• Jesuit Novitiate – A final building inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on September 16 for the demolition of an existing chapel, construction of a new 1,660 square foot chapel; the construction of a new 3,540 square foot two-story residence with 11 bedrooms, two bathrooms, one laundry area, one common room, and a 1,200 square foot basement area at 10775 Deshire Place.

• HOK – A final building inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on September 14 for a 3,800 square foot tenant improvement, which removes walls and opens up an existing commercial office space at 9530 Jefferson Boulevard.

• Nantworks – The Building Safety Division issued a building permit on September 14 for a 14,192 square foot tenant improvement to add partitions and plumbing, at 9922 Jefferson Boulevard.

• Nantworks – Building plans were submitted on September 14 for a tenant improvement to build a new conference room in an open office area, and a new partition wall in an existing office, at 9920 Jefferson Boulevard.

• Ubisoft – Building plans were submitted on September 10 for a 2,982 square foot tenant improvement for demising space, and new non load bearing partitions at 5844 Perry Drive.

• Stride Rite – The Building Safety Division issued a building permit on September 14 for a 1,831 square foot tenant improvement to an existing retail store at Westfield Culver City.

• Target – Building plans were submitted on September 16 for a 27,450 square foot tenant improvement to update finishes, lighting, and flooring, also at Westfield Culver City.

• Sony Pictures Entertainment – A final building inspection was completed by the Building Safety Division on September 14 for the Lean Building Center office reconfiguration of wall partitions, new doors, new lighting, and new windows at 10202 Washington Boulevard.

• Sweetgreen – Building plans were approved on September 15 for a 7,523 square foot tenant improvement for office space at 8840 Washington Boulevard.

• Van Leeuwen Artisan Ice Cream – Building plans were approved on September 16 for a new ice cream and coffee shop, located at 8810 Washington Boulevard (The PLATFORM).

• CD Network – Building plans were submitted on September 10 for a 1,507 square foot tenant improvement to retail space, at 8810 Washington Boulevard (The PLATFORM).

Fire Department

• Strike Team Deployment – On September 11 Engine 3 deployed to assist with the Butte Fire in Northern California. For a week, our crews helped with containment lines and provided structure protection.

• Teale Fire – On September 19 all Culver City Fire Department units responded to a three-story commercial building fire at 11869 Teale Street, just south of Culver City’s jurisdiction in Playa Vista. Culver City Fire assisted Los Angeles City Fire Department with extinguishing this well-involved fire in under two hours.

• Fire Prevention Week is October 4 – 10 – Location matters when it comes to your smoke alarm. That’s the message behind this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep. Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm!” For more fire prevention tips, please visit our website culvercity.org/fire or firepreventionweek.org.

Fire Department Staff will be at the Culver City Farmers’ Market on Tuesday, October 6 from 3:30 pm to 5:30 distribute educational materials and to answer questions about fire prevention.

• Culver City Firefighters are Once Again going “PINK” this October – During the month of October, Culver City Firefighters will again be wearing pink to support those whose lives have been impacted by breast cancer. You may join them and show your support by purchasing a CCFD breast cancer awareness T-shirt. Beginning October 1st, pink T-shirts in men’s and women’s sizes will be available at Fire Station 1 (9600 Culver Boulevard) for $15 each. 100% of the T-shirt sales proceeds will go directly to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services

• The Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program – Nineteen applications were received on September 16 for the Culver City Performing Arts Grant Program. The Peer Review Panel will meet in October, and the Cultural Affairs Commission will review the recommendations in November. The City Council will provide the final review and approval in December.

• Culver City Volunteer Opportunities - There are many upcoming volunteer opportunities in the Culver City community. Please contact Jill Thomsen in the volunteer office at (310) 253-6722 or via email at jill.thomsen@culvercity.org for more information. Some volunteer opportunities include: the Audubon Society Kenneth Hahn Education Program annual training, which begins Friday, October 2nd; basketball coaches helping in the evening for the Mar Vista Gardens Boys & Girls Club; and assistance with the CCUSD Backpacks for Kids program on Friday mornings from 8 am to 9:30 am.

• Culver City Senior Citizens Association Zumbathon 2015 – Zumbathon 2015 will take place on Friday, October 23 in the Veterans Memorial Building Auditorium from 9 am to 1 pm. Tickets may be purchased for $10 in advance and for $15 at the door. The event is open to the public ages 18 and older. Proceeds will benefit the Culver City Senior Citizens Association in its ongoing support of Senior & Social Programs.

• The Culver City Flu Clinic – The Culver City Flu Clinic will be held Wednesday, October 28 from 9 am to 11 am at the Veterans Memorial Building. Flu shots will be free of charge.

• The Culver City Senior Center New Staff Member – The Senior Center is pleased to have a University of Southern California Masters in Social Work (MSW) student doing her Field Study at the Center over the next year. LaSheryl Hoyd will be holding office hours on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 am to 3 pm and on Thursdays from 9 am to 1 pm. If you or a family member may benefit from counseling or need social services assistance and/or referrals, please stop by the Center and see LaSheryl during her office hours to take advantage of this partnership between the Culver City Senior Center and the University of Southern California.

Police Department

• Police Department Hires Seven New Employees Including Five Police Recruits- the Police Department is pleased to announce the hiring of five new police recruits and one Communications Operator and one Records Technician. The recruits started the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Academy on September 19 for 22 weeks.

Public Works Department

• Lindblade Demonstration Rain Garden Project – On September 4 the Public Works Department completed the Lindblade Demonstration Rain Garden Project. A Rain Garden is a swale designed to capture and infiltrate storm water and urban runoff from nearby impervious surfaces. The Rain Garden was constructed in the parkway on the south side of Lindblade Street just east of Sepulveda Boulevard.

The Rain Garden was constructed to capture roof storm water run-off from the adjacent commercial property building at 4346-4352 Sepulveda Boulevard with an approximate roof area of 5,800 square feet. The new underground drain system was constructed to divert all the roof run-off from existing downspouts into an infiltration gallery located under the Rain Garden into the parkway. The infiltration gallery consist of ½” rock section (3.5’ depth x 5’ width, 42’ length) wrapped with geotextile fabric with perforated pipe installed along the entire length to help distribute the run-off evenly through the sub-grade. The Rain Garden was landscaped with native and drought tolerant plants that included a drip irrigation system for plant establishment and for the lengthy dry season.

On August 28 Public Works coordinated a Community Planting Event with the help of local environmental groups and West Basin Municipal Water District. The success of the Planting Events was largely due to the participation and effort of various individuals and groups. There were a total of 18 people in attendance which included Councilmember Jeffrey Cooper, Albert Vera Jr, Public Works Director Charles Herbertson, a Chamber of Commerce representative Goran Eriksson, members of the Surf Rider Foundation, West Basin Staff, local residents and Public Works Staff.

This Rain Garden project helps minimize the storm water run-off that would have flowed onto the alley, curb gutter, and streets. Water flowing across impervious surfaces can potentially pick-up pollutants, such as metals and bacteria, on its way to the storm drain system that eventually empties into Ballona Creek.

Transportation Department

• New Grant Awards - On September 4 the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) approved grant awards totaling $246,000 to Culver City through the MSRC Local Government Match Program. Funding will be used to assist with the purchase of 7 heavy-duty natural gas vehicles and the installation of electric vehicle charging infrastructure at the Transportation Facility.

‘Clean Transportation Funding’ through the Local Government Match Program is available exclusively to cities and counties within the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Since 2002, Culver City has been awarded more than $2.5 million in grant funds from the MSRC and the SCAQMD for the purchase of alternative fuel vehicles and associated clean air projects.

• TAP Card News - On September 16 Culver CityBus joined Los Angeles County’s 26 public transit agencies at a press conference to announce that in a historic first, commuters can now use the same TAP card to pay the fare on buses or trains operated by any agency, creating the largest seamless transportation system in the country.

Transportation Director Art Ida (pictured below) addressed the crowd in his capacity as the Chair of the Los Angeles County Municipal Operators Association (LACMOA), representing 16 municipal transit operators and Access Services, Los Angeles County’s ADA Paratransit provider.

The TAP card now serves as universal fare media for the entire region. Additionally, the TAP card has an embedded computer chip and can be reloaded and reused for up to a decade. Once registered at http://www.taptogo.net, lost or stolen TAP cards can be replaced along with any remaining cash value.