1 David Yakobson
From: Natalya Zernitskaya <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 11:04 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Phil Brock; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Gleam Davis; Caroline Torosis; Oscar de la Torre; David White; [email protected] Subject: 3/19/2024 City Council Agenda Items 16L and 16M - Support Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Brock, Vice Mayor Negrete, and City Councilmembers, It is wonderful to witness a City Council so supportive of reparative justice that just weeks after being called on to seek a path towards repairing the harms of the racially motivated eminent domain seizure of the Ebony Beach Club land there are not one, but two agenda items on the matter.
This is a crucial step in the process of determining what options the City may have and what options Silas White’s descendants would accept.
As both agenda items 16L and 16M are on the same subject, I urge the Council to combine the items and unanimously support the resulting motion with the language and clear scope of work as laid out in item 16L:
"Direct the City Manager and City Attorney, in consultation with relevant departments, to report back to the Council in 90 days with: 1)Historical records documenting Silas White’s interest in the Ebony Beach Club Property at 1811 Ocean Avenue including chain of title and a record of any lease-to-purchase agreements that may exist, as well as the record of actions taken by the City of Santa Monica to seize this property by eminent domain. 2)Contemporaneous public writings, government communications, court documents, and other evidence that indicates the City of Santa Monica exercised racial animus in its decision to seize the property at 1811 Ocean Avenue. 3)Recommendations that include, at a minimum, steps the City of Santa Monica should take to repair past harm that the City perpetuated against Silas White and his descendants related to the Ebony Beach Club property at 1811 Ocean Avenue. Recommendations could include, as appropriate: a.
Options for financial compensation for the closest living descendant(s) of Silas White inclusive of wealth lost since the property was seized by the City of Santa Monica; and b. An outline of steps that may be required to transfer the parcel(s) of land referred to as “Ebony Beach Club” at 1811 Ocean Avenue or equivalent parcels in the portion of land within the area currently occupied all or in part by the Viceroy Hotel. Priority factors to be analyzed as part of the next steps should include: i. Any needs to amend the deed to the property to allow for such a transaction; ii. Identifying and addressing land and zoning restrictions; iii. Performing due diligence to determine the rightful legal heirs; iv. Understanding the tax implications upon the heirs in the event of transfer; and v. Assessing the operational and fiscal impact to the City and the Viceroy hotel, if any." I look forward to supporting the next steps towards justice for the family of Silas White when the City Attorney and City Manager return to the Council with their findings.
Sincerely,
Natalya Zernitskaya
Natalya Zernitskaya (she/her)
[email protected]
Item 16.M.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.M.
March 19, 2024
2 Item 16.M.
March 19, 2024
Item 16.M.
March 19, 2024