1 March 11, 2025
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
MARCH 11, 2025
A special meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was concurrently called to order with the regular 5:30 p.m. meeting by Mayor Pro Tem Torosis at 5:35 p.m., on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, where two Councilmembers participated remotely.
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Lana Negrete (arrived remotely at 7:00 p.m.) Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis
Councilmember Jesse Zwick
Councilmember Dan Hall
Councilmember Ellis Raskin
Councilmember Barry Snell
Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya (arrived remotely at 5:35 p.m.) Also Present: Acting City Manager Susan Cline
City Attorney Douglas Sloan
Assistant City Clerk Maria Dacanay-Wisner
CONVENE/PLEDGE On order of the Mayor Pro Tem, the City Council convened at 5:35 p.m., with all members present except Mayor Negrete. Councilmember Raskin led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance.
STATEMENT OF
ACCOUNTABILITY
(LAND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT)
The City of Santa Monica Statement of Accountability (Land Acknowledgement) was read into the record by Councilmember Hall.
LEVINE ACT
DISCLOSURE (GC Section
84308)
No Councilmember made Levine Act disclosures.
RECESS OF SPECIAL
COUNCIL MEETING
On order of the Mayor Pro Tem, the special Council meeting was recessed to hear general Public Input on the regular meeting at 5:40 p.m.
RECONVENE SPECIAL
MEETING
On order of the Mayor Pro Tem, the special meeting was reconvened at 6:09 p.m. to hear public input on Closed Session items
PUBLIC INPUT FOR
CLOSED SESSION ONLY:
Members of the public Bea Nemlaha (time donated by Lori Nafshun), Zina Josephs, Denise Barton, Maria Fonda-Bonardi, Nina Fresco, Jerry Rubin, John C. Smith, Kaitlin Drisko, and Zoë Muntañer commented on Closed Session items.
Docusign Envelope ID: 86281038-713A-4C0E-B302-70F3ED7C46EB 2 March 11, 2025
CLOSED SESSIONS
(Mayor Negrete arrived
remotely at 7:00 p.m. and left
at 8:50 p.m.)
On order of the Mayor Pro Tem, the City Council recessed at 6:49 p.m. to consider Closed Sessions and returned at 8:52 p.m., with Mayor Negrete absent, to report the following:
5.A. Public employee appointment - Gov. Code § 54957(b): consider public employee appointment; title: City Manager; Gov. Code § 54957.6: conference with labor negotiator; City negotiator:
Mayor/Personnel Director; unrepresented employee: City Manager The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
5.B. Conference with labor negotiator – Gov. Code § 54957.6: agency designated representatives: Interim City Manager Elaine Polachek, Human Resources Director Dana Brown, and Human Resources Manager Sarah Rebensdorf; bargaining units: Administrative Team Associates (ATA), AFSCME Local 4819- Management Team
Association (MTA), California Teamsters Local 911 (IBT), Municipal Employees Association (MEA), Public Attorney’s Legal Support Staff Union (PALSSU), Public Attorney’s Union (PAU), Santa Monica Fire Executive Management Association (FEMA), Santa Monica Firefighters Local 1109 (LOCAL 1109), Police Officers Association (POA), Supervisory Team Association (STA) and SMART TD - International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers - Transportation Division, Local 1785 (SMART TD)
The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
5.C. Conference with real estate negotiator pursuant to Government Code § 54956.8: Property: 1855 Main Street, Santa Monica, California (Civic Auditorium) (APN 4290-013-901); City Negotiators: Jennifer Taylor, Economic Development Manager, and Nia Tang, Economic Development Administrator; Owner of Record: City of Santa Monica; Persons to be negotiated with: Tim Sexton, Revitalization Partner Group, LLC; Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment for lease The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
5.D. Conference with legal counsel - existing litigation - Gov. Code § 54956.9(d)(1): Pico Neighborhood Association and Maria Loya v. City; LASC # BC616804
The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
Docusign Envelope ID: 86281038-713A-4C0E-B302-70F3ED7C46EB 3 March 11, 2025
5.E. Conference with legal counsel - existing litigation - Gov. Code § 54956.9(d)(1): Victoria Lobanov v. City; LASC # 22SMCV02779 The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
5.F. Conference with legal counsel - existing litigation - Gov. Code § 54956.9(d)(1): Renee Miller v. City; LASC # 24SMCV00279 The City Attorney advised this matter was heard with no reportable action taken.
ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor Pro Tem, the special City Council meeting adjourned at 8:53 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Maria Dacanay-Wisner Caroline Torosis
Assistant City Clerk Mayor Pro Tem
Docusign Envelope ID: 86281038-713A-4C0E-B302-70F3ED7C46EB