1 Vernice Hankins From: Ellen Hannan <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 06, 2017 2:50 PM To: Sue Himmelrich; Kevin McKeown Fwd; Ted Winterer; Tony Vazquez; Gleam Davis; Rick Cole; David Martin; Andrew Hoyer; Clerk Mailbox Subject: Items 7a and 7b on city Council March 7, 2017 Sorry I am out of town on vacation. I agree with staff report on 7a. All or most of our commercial zones are too close to residential areas. There should be a 2 hour limit on any permit or demonstration in the City. Police time is very valuable. I think 7b is a good start. I did not notice any mention of a timeline or fines for a property that would be in violation of the Property Ordinance. For two many of the hidden LLC owners and developers it is just the cost of doing business. Will this be discussed? Thank you. Ellen Hannan 1218 9th St #6 Santa Monica, CA Item 7-A 03/07/2017 Item 7-A 03/07/2017
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Vernice Hankins
From: Ellen Hannan <[email protected]>Sent: Monday, March 06, 2017 2:50 PMTo: Sue Himmelrich; Kevin McKeown Fwd; Ted Winterer; Tony Vazquez; Gleam Davis; Rick
Cole; David Martin; Andrew Hoyer; Clerk MailboxSubject: Items 7a and 7b on city Council March 7, 2017
Sorry I am out of town on vacation.
I agree with staff report on 7a. All or most of our commercial zones are too close to residential areas. There should be a 2 hour limit on any permit or demonstration in the City. Police time is very valuable.
I think 7b is a good start. I did not notice any mention of a timeline or fines for a property that would be in violation of the Property Ordinance. For two many of the hidden LLC owners and developers it is just the cost of doing business. Will this be discussed?
Thank you.
Ellen Hannan 1218 9th St #6 Santa Monica, CA
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Board Members, Cont.
Jeff Jarow PAR Commercial Real Estate
Brokerage
Jeff Klocke
Pacific Park on the Santa
Monica Pier
Mitchell Kraus
Capital Intelligence Associates
Tim Kusserow
Carlthorp School
Leonard “Len” Lanzi
Los Angeles Venture Association
Paula Larmore Harding Larmore Kutcher &
Kozal, LLP
Jeff Lasky
Hudson Pacific Properties,
Inc.
Matt Lavin
Worthe Real Estate Group
Richard Lawrence
Commercial Bank of California
Paul Leclerc Le Meridien Delfina
Gary Loeb Chezgal Merchandising
Creations
Marcel Loh
St John’s Health Center
Providence
Brian Mac Mahon
Expert Dojo
Ellis O’Connor
MSD Hospitality Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
Susan Gabriel Potter
Bob Gabriel Insurance
Nat Trives
Coalition for Engaged
Educations
Juan Viramontes
Georgian Hotel
John Warfel
Metropolitan Pacific
Adam Weiss
Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.
Chair Yesenia Monsour Kaiser Permanente
Chair Elect
West Hooker
Locanda del Lago
Past Chair
Julia Ladd
Santa Monica Place
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Nelson Tegner-Miller Insurance
Brokers
Vice Chairman Barbara Bishop
BBPR, Inc.
Vice Chairman Richard Chacker Perry’s Café and Bike
Rentals
Vice Chairman
Justin Grant Morley Builders
Vice Chairman Pat McRoskey
Water Garden
Vice Chairman Scott Schonfeld
Linwood Ventures
Board Members
Daniel Abramson
RAND Corporation
Matthew Allnatt
Jonathan Club
Alisha Auringer
LAcarGuy
Ted Braun
UCLA Health
Julia Cooksey
Frontier Communications
Kiersten Elliott
Santa Monica College
Michael Gruning
Pence Hawthorn
Colby Goff
Rustic Canyon Family
Mike Harriel
Southern California Gas Company
Susan Inwood Wells Fargo Advisors,
LLC
March 6, 2017 Santa Monica City Council 1685 Main Street, Room 102 Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Item 7A – Proposed Noise Ordinance Changes
Dear Mayor Winterer and Councilmembers:
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce strongly opposes the proposed changes to our Noise Ordinance. Exempting specific areas from the important protections that our noise ordinance provides is unfair to the residents, visitors, employees and local businesses in these areas. This proposed change is completely unnecessary, and could expose the city to significant legal challenges.
The Chamber strongly supports first amendment rights as an essential component of a healthy and open society. Santa Monica has a longstanding reputation for protecting the rights of individuals and organizations to express diverse points of view. We agree with the Staff Report from your April 16th meeting, which clearly states that the existing noise ordinance provides strong and sufficient first amendment protections, while also protecting our community members from uncomfortably loud noises.
If a local resident, employee, or visitor is walking down Montana Ave or dining outdoors on Main Street, they deserve to be protected from noises that are so “harsh or prolonged or unnatural or unusual in their use, time, place as to cause physical discomfort”. We see no compelling reason to remove such a protection. Further, we worry that, as was stated in the staff report previously referenced, “Eliminating noise enforcement in commercial districts would severely undermine the Police Department’s ability to respond to complaints.” We hope that you will seek further input from our Police Department before deciding on such a significant change.
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Chair Yesenia Monsour Kaiser Permanente
Chair Elect
West Hooker
Locanda del Lago
Past Chair
Julia Ladd
Santa Monica Place
Chief Financial Officer
Dave Nelson
Tegner-Miller Insurance
Brokers
Vice Chairman Barbara Bishop
BBPR, Inc.
Vice Chairman Richard Chacker Perry’s Café and Bike
Rentals
Vice Chairman
Justin Grant Morley Builders
Vice Chairman Pat McRoskey
Water Garden
Vice Chairman Scott Schonfeld
Linwood Ventures
Board Members
Daniel Abramson
RAND Corporation
Matthew Allnatt
Jonathan Club
Alisha Auringer
LAcarGuy
Ted Braun
UCLA Health
Julia Cooksey
Frontier Communications
Kiersten Elliott
Santa Monica College
Michael Gruning
Pence Hawthorn
Colby Goff
Rustic Canyon Family
Mike Harriel
Southern California Gas Company
Susan Inwood Wells Fargo Advisors,
LLC
Board Members, Cont.
Jeff Jarow PAR Commercial Real Estate
Brokerage
Jeff Klocke
Pacific Park on the Santa
Monica Pier
Mitchell Kraus
Capital Intelligence Associates
Tim Kusserow
Carlthorp School
Leonard “Len” Lanzi
Los Angeles Venture Association
Paula Larmore Harding Larmore Kutcher &
Kozal, LLP
Jeff Lasky
Hudson Pacific Properties,
Inc.
Matt Lavin
Worthe Real Estate Group
Richard Lawrence
Commercial Bank of California
Paul Leclerc Le Meridien Delfina
Gary Loeb Chezgal Merchandising
Creations
Marcel Loh
St John’s Health Center
Providence
Brian Mac Mahon
Expert Dojo
Ellis O’Connor
MSD Hospitality Fairmont
Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
Susan Gabriel Potter
Bob Gabriel Insurance
Nat Trives
Coalition for Engaged
Educations
Juan Viramontes
Georgian Hotel
John Warfel
Metropolitan Pacific
Adam Weiss
Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc.
Considering all the negative impacts associated with this proposal, the Chamber encourages you to reject the proposed changes. Residents, visitors, employees, and local businesses deserve to be protected from loud and abrasive noise. Sincerely,
Yesenia Monsour Laurel Rosen Chair President / CEO
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
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Vernice Hankins
From: Council MailboxSent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 8:25 AMTo: Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Pam OConnor; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day; Kevin
McKeown Fwd; Tony VazquezCc: councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek; David MartinSubject: FW: Tues night mtg: Agenda Item 7.A.
Council‐ Please see the below email regarding the noise ordinance. Thank you, Stephanie
From: Victoria Best [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, March 6, 2017 10:23 PM To: Council Mailbox <[email protected]> Subject: Tues night mtg: Agenda Item 7.A.
Dear Council Member and Mayor Winterer: I am writing this evening to communicate my support for the proposed noise ordinance, which is on the Agenda for the Council meeting on Tuesday, March 7. I think that the exemptions (copied from the proposed ordinance and pasted below) are consistent with the need for free speech in Santa Monica, which I consider to be very important, ESPECIALLY at this time in light of our repressive, kleptocratic, corrupt, oligarchic, racist, sexist and exclusionary administration in Washington, D.C. The residents of this city and this country must be able to resist exploitation, racism, sexism, and other abuses of power by speaking out and communicating vital information to the public. Since those with the greatest power and money have the greatest ability to fill the airwaves and other arenas of public discourse with disinformation and distracting "noise," those whose lives, livelihoods, health and well‐being are put in jeopardy by abuses of power need the protections in our First Amendment to be able to make their communications heard by as many as possible. I am grateful that Santa Monica stands tall as one of the cities in this country that is taking principled stands against the recently intensified overreach of power and oppression of those who are marginalized, mistreated, and labeled "other." This ordinance is but one more tool to buttress our ability to resist, as well as to protect each other. Thank you. Sincerely, Victoria Best
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
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3111 ‐ 4th Street, #412 Santa Monica, CA 90405
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
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Vernice Hankins
From: Council MailboxSent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 8:25 AMTo: Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Pam OConnor; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day; Kevin
McKeown Fwd; Tony VazquezCc: councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek; David MartinSubject: FW: Upcoming noise ordinance
Council‐ Please see the below email regarding the noise ordinance. Thank you, Stephanie From: Cathie Gentile [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Monday, March 6, 2017 2:12 PM To: Council Mailbox <[email protected]> Subject: Upcoming noise ordinance
Dear Honorable Council Members: As a 31-year-resident of Santa Monica, I am writing in support of the revised noise ordinance which will be discussed at the Tuesday, March 7 Council Meeting. I am urging that changes are voted on to protect free speech in our community. Now, more than ever, we need to be able to speak out in amplified ways against injustice and oppression. Thank you, Catherine M. Gentile 90405
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
1
Vernice Hankins
From: Council MailboxSent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 8:28 AMTo: Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Pam OConnor; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day; Kevin
McKeown Fwd; Tony VazquezCc: councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek; David MartinSubject: FW: Noise Exemption
Council‐ Please see the below email regarding the noise ordinance. Thank you, Stephanie
We recently became aware of the proposed noise ordinance exemption that would render the current noise ordinance irrelevant throughout many of the commercial areas of the city. The current noise ordinance already fairly supports the public’s ability to exercise their right to free speech and many folks successfully do express themselves frequently. At the same time the current legislation is thoughtfully crafted so that residents and patrons of the city can be made aware of the individual or individuals exercising their rights and speaking their mind but simultaneously others do not feel harassed or deterred from spending time in the public zones of the city. Exempting anyone from the current noise ordinance will hurt the community unnecessarily.
We have heard comments that civil unrest should not be comfortable. We agree. We also believe the current demonstrations and free speech exercises which frequently take place around the city are already uncomfortable. When we walk with our families and friends through the commercial areas of Santa Monica we currently cross the street when there are protesters holding signs or folks shouting about their religious beliefs. It’s an inconvenience and sometimes the language can be scary but we support the rights of those shouting about religion or work environment or the dissatisfaction with the President of the United States or other topics. Our current law already supports the ability for folks interested in exercising free speech to do so and make others in the public uncomfortable in order to punctuate their point. This right shouldn’t become threatening or painful for bystanders, residents, public, workers, businesses or tourists who experience Santa Monica every day. A healthy balance already exists. The current balance already makes for a healthy ecosystem for all constituents but a noise ordinance exemption would tip the balance and unnecessarily negatively impact other members of the community.
Vote the noise exemption down and send the message that our current ordinance constitutionally supports free speech just as similar laws do in other cities throughout California and around the country, and simultaneously send the message that we support our peace officers who have the difficult job of enforcing the current ordinance but we trust them to do so. This is common sense.
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
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Thanks for listening and for all of the dedicated hard work you do for the City of Santa Monica.
Joe Miller Lawrence Rudolph Rudy & Hudson Californa Diner
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
Item 7-A 03/07/2017
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Maria Dacanay
From: Elena Christopoulos <[email protected]>Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2017 11:48 AMTo: councilmtgitems; Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Sue Himmelrich; Kevin McKeown Fwd;
Pam OConnor; Terry O’Day; Tony VazquezSubject: Item 7-A: writing in opposition to the proposed changes
Importance: High
Follow Up Flag: Follow upFlag Status: Completed
Dear City Council, As a downtown resident and President of the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA), I am writing to strongly oppose the proposed changes listed in Item 7-A, “Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 4.12 of the Santa Monica Municipal Code Regarding Noise Regulations.” Exempting specific areas from important protections that our noise ordinance provides is unfair to my neighbors, employees and local businesses. This proposed change could also expose the city to significant legal challenges. The existing noise ordinance provides sufficient first amendment protections, while also protecting my neighborhood from uncomfortably loud noises. As a downtown resident, I am thankful for all of the public space we have. This allows for runs on the beach, walking through my neighborhood and dining outside. My neighbors and I deserve to be protected from noises that are so “harsh or prolonged or unnatural or unusual in their use, time, place as to cause physical discomfort”. Thank you. Elena Christopoulos Energy - Sustainability - Political Consultant Commissioner, City of Santa Monica C 1.310.866.2922 E [email protected] -- Follow me on Twitter: @Elenach elenachristopoulos.com www.facebook.com/elena.ecmc
