ON THE AGENDA
The following items will be considered at tonight's City Council
meeting:
ELECTION COSTS
The council will consider approving a payment of $277,700 to cover
the costs of the April 5 general election.
That figure exceeds the funds remaining in the election budget by
$26,700, according to a city staff report.
Martin & Chapman Co., the city's election consultants, is
attributing the increase to the larger number of candidates on the
ballot, 43 versus an initial estimate of 32, which required an
additional ballot card. Providing a sample ballot in Korean, which
company officials felt was necessary based on L.A. County statistics,
also increased the cost of the election by $25,400.
The council had already appropriated an additional $135,000 in
January to cover costs related to the inclusion of 21 charter
amendments on the ballot.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The council is likely to approve the appropriation of funds, based
on the recommendation of City Clerk Ardashes Kassakhian.
SPEED LUMPS
AND HUMPS
The City Council will consider approval of $57,000 for the
construction of seven new speed humps, six new speed lumps and the
reconstruction of 12 speed humps throughout the city.
The speed lumps, variations of the speed hump with cut-outs to
accommodate buses or emergency vehicles, would be installed on Doran
Street between Chester Street and Kenilworth Avenue, and on Highland
Avenue between Glenwood Road and Cumberland Road. The humps would be
placed on Geneva Street between Doran Street and Monterey Road, on
Coronado Drive between Monterey Road and Glenoaks Boulevard, and on
South Street between Virginia Avenue and Concord Street.
The 12 speed humps to be reconstructed, along Glenoaks, Ethel
Street and Los Olivos Lane, would be retrofitted to meet the city's
new standard of 3 1/2 inches in height.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The council will likely approve the work, which has already been
included by the Public Works Traffic and Transportation Section into
its budget. The humps and lumps have already been approved by the
Transportation and Parking Commission and would be added to the
Montrose Shopping Park Sidewalk Replacement Project, which was
awarded to E.C. Construction in January. Construction would begin in
July and is expected to be completed within two weeks.
MASSAGE ESTABLISHMENT LAW
The City Council will decide whether to drop part of a city law
that requires massage establishments to provide shower facilities to
its customers. If adopted, the change to the law would also exempt
owners of such establishments from having to be licensed as massage
technicians.
The proposed amendment to the municipal code, which would still
require staff members to be licensed in order to practice massage
therapy, arose from a business permit application by Massage Envy, a
franchise with 32 locations in the western United States that does
not provide amenities such as steam rooms, spas or shower facilities.
Franchise owners for Massage Envy are also not required to be
licensed masseurs.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The council will likely approve the amendment, as it is supported
by staff members from the Police Department, city attorney's office,
the city manager and the city clerk's license inspection unit. Staff
members argue that the ordinance strengthens the licensing,
permitting and permit revocation process and places greater
responsibility on owners of such facilities.
