1 Vernice Hankins
From: Nikki Kolhoff <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 12:55 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Christine Parra; David White
Cc: Board of Education; Antonio Shelton; Carey Upton
Subject: Consent Item 5D Memorial Park Expansion - DEMAND $20 MILLION FROM SMC NOW
EXTERNAL
Dear City Council -
SMC promised voters that it would give $20 million from its $345 million Measure V bond in 2016 to the city for Memorial Park expansion. That was 2016 and SMC still hasn't handed over the money.
The city should not be scaling back the expansion and only building 2 of the 4 new fields because it should use SMC's $20 million to move forward. SMC is only releasing $2.75 million now for funding, seven years after it promised $20 million. This is bad faith.
Council needs to demand SMC prove they are a good neighbor by handing the entire $20 million over for the full expansion now and proceeding with design of the full expansion.
A few things worth remembering about this process:
1. SMC had no problem INCREASING RENT charged to SMMUSD to $530,000 for the PBL Pathway to rent bungalows SMC isn't using. SMC is using that to offset what it owes SMMUSD for the Madison campus, so it now pays nothing for the Madison campus.
2. SMC hasn't reduced any payments from SMMUSD now that SMMUSD is not using SMC's stadium for football games.
3. SMC was supposed to pay $20 million toward a $32 million JAMS Auditorium and when costs overran to at least $45 million, SMC refused to pay any of the cost increase.
4. PTA Council and the School Board endorsed the SMC bond in 2016, citing the $20 million for Memorial Park as one of the reasons.
It seems like SMC is always getting the better end of the deal and that's not right.
Thanks,
Nikki Kolhoff,
Santa Monica Resident
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Brian O'Neil <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 22, 2023 2:35 PM
To: Christine Parra; Lana Negrete; Phil Brock; Oscar de la Torre; Gleam Davis; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; councilmtgitems; Elias Platte-Bermeo; David White Cc: PNA SM; Brian ONeil
Subject: City Council Agenda - Aug 22 - Item 3-D: Community Resilience Center at VAP
EXTERNAL
To: Santa Monica City Council, City Manager
From: PNA Board of Directors
Re: City Council Meeting August 22, 2023 Agenda Item 3-D – Community Resilience Center at Virginia Ave Park
Dear Councilmembers:
The PNA is writing this letter to raise concerns regarding Item 3‐D which is a resolution that authorizes the application for The Strategic Growth Council Community Resilience Center Grant. On July 12th during the PNA Board meeting there was a presentation by Mr. Elias Platte‐Bermeo a Sustainability Analyst with the City of Santa Monica, regarding the Community Resilience Center (CRC) proposal. According to the presentation the City of Santa Monica’s CRC proposes to create a resilience center at Virginia Avenue Park that includes a cooling station, additional programs for residents along with a carport at the parking lot on Pico Blvd. that will have solar panels on the ceiling, storage of an industrial batteries and an expanded electric vehicle charging station. Our concerns center on the lack of process in creating a CRC and health impact to residents and park goers due to exposure to the electric grid.
Lack of Process:
The CRC proposal was presented to us as an upgrade to the current programs provided to Pico neighborhood residents at Virginia Ave. Park (VAP) through a newly created CRC. The concept and approach to creating a CRC at VAP were conceived without properly and adequately engaging Pico residents including the Pico Neighborhood Association.
We are concerned that the CRC proposal that the City staff is presenting to Council is being presented in a disingenuous manner. In reality the City staff is proposing to create an electric micro‐grid in our neighborhood park disguised as a community resilience center.
A micro/smart grid is an electric grid which includes a variety of operations and energy measures including smart meters, smart distribution boards, solar panels, charging stations, battery/energy storage. This is exactly what is being proposed under the CRC at Virginia Ave. Park. In fact, the wording of this item on the agenda does not mention the intention to build a micro/smart grid tied to this grant.
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2 If the City of Santa Monica proposes to create micro/smart grids throughout Santa Monica neighborhoods then residents should be informed honestly and adequately so that we may have a proper discussion on whether we want a micro/smart and decide where to safely place these electric grids.
Environmental Justice and Health Concerns:
The Pico Neighborhood historically has experienced environmental racism in the form of zoning, the placement of undesirable development such as the I‐10, three waste facilities, and the maintenance rail yard.
It is important to note that the Pico Neighborhood also has the largest concentration of cell towers in Santa Monica. The Pico Neighborhood has been used as the test ground for these kinds of projects and we continue to bear the burden for “the greater good”.
Once again we are being told by City staff that in order to get a cooling station we must allow an electric micro/smart grid at our neighborhood park. If the City of Santa Monica proposes to place these electric grids at parks where our children play and Senior citizens in our community take walks, there should be health studies. Will having charging stations, industrial battery storage tied to the solar panels cause electromagnetic radiation? Residents that will bear the burden of such an electric micro grid should have an opportunity to be informed in order to discuss it and we must have assurance that it is safe.
The PNA has a responsibility to advocate for the well‐being of Pico Neighborhood residents when it comes to programs, projects, and developments. We are concerned that the City staff has not been honest with their CRC proposal for Virginia Ave. Park. We recommend that the submission of the grant should be either placed on hold to provide time to properly inform the residents of the City’s plans to create electric micro/smart grids or the proposal should be changed to only include a cooling station at VAP and with specific wording stating that the placement of the electric micro/smart grid still needs to be determined.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
PNA Board of Directors
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