City Manager's Update

City Manager’sUpdate

June 8, 2012

City Manager’s Office

Community Development Department

• Chipotle Mexican Grill – Plans have been approved for a new restaurant located at 4114 Sepulveda Boulevard.

• Continental Development Group - Plans have been approved for construction of building B, a new commercial building (core/shell only), located at 4130 Sepulveda Boulevard.

• Westfield Culver City - A permit has been issued to Olive Garden, a new restaurant located in the mall.

• Sony Pictures Entertainment – Plans have been approved for a tenant improvement to renovate and reconfigure the Jimmy Stewart office building. A permit has been issued to fabricate and erect a 188 foot diameter Rainbow arch. The sculpture includes: two concrete foundations, a structural steel arch, aluminum art panels, intermediate framing to support the aluminum art panels. Plans have been submitted for a facade remodel of existing commercial structure, the Capra Building, on the studio lot. The project will include the removal of the existing faux façade and installation of new windows and openings into existing wall, located at 10202 Washington Boulevard.

• HQ Development – Plans have been submitted for Building #1: core and shell improvements to existing two story building which will include the demolition of existing non-load bearing interior partitions, demolition of existing entry canopy, new exterior windows. Building #2: core and shell improvements to existing one story building to include demolition of existing non-load bearing interior partitions, new restrooms, electrical rooms, interior stair and ramp, windows and exterior walls. New two story addition and new exterior stair and ramp. Building #3: core and shell improvements to existing one story building to include demolition of existing non-load bearing interior partitions, partial demolition of concrete wall, new restrooms, windows and skylights, located at 9950 Jefferson Boulevard.

• “Public School” – Plans have been submitted for a tenant improvement to remodel an existing restaurant space for new restaurant located at 9411 Culver Boulevard.

• 7-Eleven - The Planning Commission approved the development of a new 2,500 square foot convenience store located at 4436 Sepulveda Boulevard.

• Jazz Bakery - Staff provided an alternative trash enclosure design option for the Jazz Bakery architect to incorporate into the theater’s design.

• Washington/Centinela - Staff is analyzing a pro forma received by Regency Centers for the Market Hall project and is awaiting receipt of a Trader Joe’s vehicle trip and parking study from Regency Centers. An amendment to the agreement is being drafted to provide additional time to complete these studies.

Fire Department

• Career Day - On June 1 members from the Culver City Fire Department participated in “Children First”; El Rincon’s Career Day 2012. Members from Truck 2 spent the morning with the students talking about a career in the fire service, the important role education plays in a fire service career, along with a number of safety tips. The firefighters also spent some time showing them some of the personal safety equipment worn by the firefighters along with the equipment used. Lastly, the presentation was concluded with the raising of the 100’ aerial ladder.

• Wildland Training - All fire department personnel attended annual wildland refresher training where they were given the assignment to asses and attack a wind driven spot fire in the Baldwin Hills, at the California State Park. Personnel used a progressive hose lay from the engine 500 feet through the grass and brush until a line was safely around one flank of the fires edge. In full brush protective equipment, they simulated a situation where their exit route was cut off by fire due to a wind shift, and they were left with no option except their fire shelter, (an aluminum personal pup tent) as a last resort for survival.

• Inter-Agency Night Drill - The three shifts each had their night drills at the Training Drill Ground. Los Angeles City Fire Department joined our units with an additional four engines and a truck, to make the drill on the 17th at dusk. The drill focused on the transition from an offensive/interior attack to an exterior/defensive attack, with master streams. This evolution included a number of large streams appliances that ultimately provided more than 6,000 gallons a minute.

• Metro Light Rail First Responder Training - To finish-up the Expo-Line Robertson Station pre-opening first responder training, Metro developed two drill scenarios for the firefighters to respond too and mitigate. The first was a light-rail train vs. a pedestrian who was seriously injured, and pinned under the rail car. The second was a fire in the TPSS-traction power substation, where the 750 volts used to propel the train is supplied from. The power at these vaults is supplied from multiple sources at very high amperage, which makes “powering down” complicated and dangerous. Fortunately our firefighters have been trained to safely handle these and other situations involving the Metro train systems.

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department

• Administration – PRCS Director Daniel Hernandez and staff met and discussed options for fee subsidies related to the use of Veterans Memorial Building for certain non-profit groups. Staff is considering options which will include issues such as whether the groups are local non-profit organizations; charge admission, historical use of the building and membership make-up. A follow-up meeting was held later in the week with representation of the Bromeliad Society.

Parks Manager Patrick Reynolds and PRCS Director Daniel Hernandez met with representatives of North East Trees to discuss the results of the surveys related to the Open Space Plan being drafted by NET. Approximately 600 surveys were completed online and at various locations throughout the City, representing approximately 1 1/2 % of the City population.

PRCS Staff had an all-crew meeting for staff who are assigned to work Fiesta La Ballona. The coordination meeting included representatives of the Police Department, Fire Department and Public Works. PRCS staff spends more than 300 combined hours on various assignments over the two-day event. This is in addition to the year-round work performed by Dan Jassim, staff liaison to the volunteer committee. Susan Obrow, Special Events Coordinator, will be assisting Dan this year, in preparation for transition as lead person to the event in 2013.

Staff has finalized details related to the Memorandum of Understanding with Fulcrum for the operation of the Ropes Course at Culver City Park. Included in this year’s agreement is the opportunity for two all-staff trainings at no cost to the City by Fulcrum as part of their use of the site, in addition to annual use fees.

• Recreation – “A Day at UCLA” was held on Saturday, June 2. The day revolved around getting youth excited about college. Twelve Teen Center members attended the event at the UCLA campus, where they were introduced to campus life. The day included a tour of the Fowler Museum, lunch in the dining hall, a meet-and-greet with UCLA football players, a performance by a campus sorority, and a discussion session with current students about college life.

Summer Youth Mentoring Program Update: the mentees have been interviewed and completed skill testing. Staff is in the process of matching skill sets with the needs of various City departments, where the youth will be placed this summer.

The Culver City Rotary Club will host its end-of-year luncheon at Veterans Memorial Complex on June 13, culminating the events with the installation of donor bricks representing funds to support the Teen Center Computer Lab.

Staff hosted a booth at the “2nd Annual Safety Festival Kids are First” event, hosted by Bunnin Chevrolet in partnership with Senator Curren Price. The event was held on Sunday, June 10 at Bunnin Chevrolet, 6106 West Slauson Avenue in Culver City.

Susan Obrow, Special Events Coordinator for the City, has joined the PRCS staff. In addition to her Cultural Affairs responsibilities, she will manage the Veterans Memorial Building and focus on promoting the Veterans Memorial Complex.

Cultural Affairs/Performing Arts Grants: Upcoming performances will be presented by the Jazz Bakery at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (June 23), CONTRA-TIEMPO at Helms Walk (June 24), and We Tell Stories at the Culver City Julian Dixon Library (June 27). More information is available on the City’s website.

• Senior and Social Services – On May 24 the PRCS Department co-sponsored a special low-vision seminar at the Veteran’s Memorial Building. The event was offered in collaboration with the Culver City-based non-profit organization, The Center for the Partially Sighted, and the Macular Degeneration Partnership. Approximately 75 individuals attended the event where leading experts offered educational information on the preservation of vision and the latest advancements in research and technology.

At the June 4 Council Meeting, Harry M. Santo was presented with a commendation for “Senior of the Year 2012.” Harry was recognized for 20 years of volunteer service at the Culver City Senior Center, where he teaches French, Italian, German and Spanish, as well as his service to the Culver City community as a volunteer English teacher with the Adult Basic Education Program and his volunteer service at the Airport Marina Counseling Service. Harry was also honored at the “Older Americans Month” party at the Senior Center on May 25 by Mayor Andrew Weissman, Vice Mayor Jeff Cooper, Councilmembers Jim Clarke and Meghan Sahli-Wells, PRCS Director Dan Hernandez and Kay Heineman, President of the Culver City Senior Citizens Association.

Police Department

• Neighborhood Watch Meeting - On May 30 members of the police department met with the residents of the French Quarter Condominium complex in Fox Hills to discussed crime trends and home security.

• Expo Rail Training Exercise - On May 30 members of the police department attended a training exercise involving the Fire Department and the Expo Line in preparations for the upcoming opening of the light rail line. The exercise was well attended and very informative.

• Culver City Police Officers lend a hand - On May 5 Culver City Police Officers participated in El Marino’s Walk and Bike to school event. Jim Shanman the event coordinator wrote the following note. Thank you so much for sending the officers this morning. Another successful event! The kids - and adults - love having CCPD on site.

Public Works Department

• Road Closure Announcement - On Friday, June 22, the Culver City office of the California Highway Patrol, located on Bristol Parkway at Centinela Avenue, will hold a memorial to dedicate a segment of the freeway in honor of fallen CHP Officer Phillip Ortiz, whose end of watch was Tuesday, June 22, 2010. It is anticipated that approximately 400 people will attend the memorial dedication to be held at the CHP facility on Bristol Parkway. To accommodate the memorial and attendees who will honor fallen Officer Ortiz, northbound Bristol Parkway, between Centinela and Doverwood Drive will be closed to traffic, as well as eastbound Doverwood Drive, between Bristol Parkway and Green Valley Circle. The partial street closures will commence at approximately 8 am and continue until approximately 3 pm. On Friday, June 22, anyone who drives the subject segments of these two streets is encouraged to use Green Valley Circle or Sepulveda Boulevard as alternate routes.

The Culver City Police Department and the Public Works Department will assist the California Highway Patrol to maintain safety and perform traffic control at the perimeter of the partial street closures.

• Schaefer Street Trees - Beginning the week of June 18, the City’s tree trimming contractor, West Coast Arborists, will be planting approximately 48 Tipuana Tipu trees on Schaefer Street. The newly planted trees will replace the Ficus trees that were removed over the course of the past couple of years due to health deterioration caused by the “Sooty Canker” fungus disease.

Transportation

• Results of Survey Week 2012 - Survey Week is a five-day period when all City employees report their daily means of commute – walking, biking, using public transit, carpooling or driving alone. Per the terms of our Employee Commute Reduction Program, we are required to perform an annual survey in order to measure and report our Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), per Rule 2202 and clean air mandates for our region.