CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

The following is from the Feb. 3 City Council meeting.

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Music in the Park

The council approved unanimously seven, two-hour Music in the Park concerts for 2009 in Bluebird Park, starting July 19 and ending Aug. 30, a reprise of the 2008 series.

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Construction hazard speedy intervention

The council approved on second reading an ordinance to speed up the intervention process on construction projects abandoned in the excavation stage that may pose a hazard to adjoining properties.

WHAT IT MEANS

The ordinance provides for an abbreviated abatement procedure when repairs are needed on an emergency or urgent basis.

It provides a mechanism for the city to collect funds before the building permit is issued to pay for repairs, if necessary, so the city does not have to advance the funds and then try to collect from the property owners by a lien or special assessment against the property. The ordinance also clarifies requirements for shoring and underpinning excavations near adjoining properties and mandates that the neighbors be notified when excavations are planned.

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Construction staging program approved

The council unanimously approved a requirement for construction staging plans for all major residential and commercial projects on sites with physical constraints “” including steep topography, unusual configuration, street access issues, extensive grading or limited parking.

The plans are to be submitted after Design Review approval.

WHAT IT MEANS

Construction projects will be required to provide staging plans with the following requirements:

?Staging plans must be drawn to scale, including two-foot topographic contours and show before and after conditions.

?Plans must accurately show all required or proposed grading and shoring necessary to crate a usable staging area.

?The area must be at least 600 square feet, not including parking areas.

?A minimum of 16-foot paved street-width must be maintained at all times to allow for emergency vehicle access.

?Erosion and sediment control measure must be shown.

?Travel routes and loading and unloading areas for major equipment or tractor-trailer combinations must identified on the plans.

?Shuttle or carpool provisions for employees should be included for constricted sites.

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Underground Utility District Approved

Votes were counted after a public hearing was held to allow property owners in a proposed underground utility assessment district at Mar Vista Avenue/Eagle Rock Way/Third Avenue the opportunity to submit comments, dispute their assessments and ballots on the project.

State law mandates that a simple majority of the votes is all that is required for passage and the city has no jurisdiction, except to reduce assessments, which it did for the two properties on Mar Vista Avenue.

Fixed income property owners, who couldn’t afford the assessment used to be able to apply for relief until the property was sold or inherited.

However, the state’s financial crisis has jeopardized that avenue, according to a bond expert.

“” Barbara Diamond