City Council to Tackle Taxi Kickbacks

The has a full plate in store Tuesday night, as it is due to tackle taxi-cab kickbacks for privileged access to passengers, employee health benefits, and permitting issues with several key public and private development projects around town.

The council is set to consider changes to the Municipal Code that would crack down on taxi-cab companies paying hotels and other similar businesses for better access to customers. According to staff reports, which recommend council approval for the changes, the long-standing kickback problem should be addressed, because it fosters an unfair business environment in the city.

If passed, the changes to the code would make it illegal for employees of a taxi company to offer any kind of compensation to a hotel, motel or similar business in return for preferred access to customers. The changes would also prohibit hotel and motel employees from accepting compensation for that service, or offering compensation to taxi companies in return for lodging recommendations.

Several are also on the table, including the approval of franchising rights for Bell Cab Company; Independent Taxi Owners’ Association; Metro Cab Company; ; and Yellow Cab Company.

At the meeting—which, as usual, will start at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall—the council also plans to address permit requests for the set to be built at Virginia Avenue Park. The city has already allocated $12.8 million in redevelopment funds for that project and will now consider approving Development Review and Conditional Use permits, along with a parking variance.

In deciding whether to approve the permits, the council will consider questions about how compatible the proposed structure would be with the surrounding neighborhood, whether it would be consistent with adjacent land-uses, and what needs to be done to create an appropriate and non-disruptive parking plan.

In addition to the Pico Branch Library, the proposed Civic Center Village complex also has a few approvals on the table, including an option for extension on several of the ground leases for 50 additional years tacked on to the existing 99 years to increase marketability.

The council will also consider a contract with Keyser Marston Associates for real estate economics services relating to the project. The total amount of the contract would be $155,000 over an eight-year term. When built, the complex would contain 324 housing units, with 160 allocated for affordable housing.

Also up for discussion at the meeting is a contract for city employee health insurance, totaling more than $17 million, with Aetna. Staff recommends approval of that contract.

Another item of note is a recommendation that Santa Monica sponsor National Plug In Day, an effort to raise awareness for the environmental benefits of electric vehicles, by providing electric cars for council use in the National Plug In Day Parade. Also to be considered is a recommendation to pass a resolution urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and President Obama to enforce the Clean Air Act and reduce nationwide carbon emissions to 350 parts per million.