Filled to capacity, Culver City’s La Dijonaise restaurant was the site on Wednesday, February 1 for a successful — and delicious — evening of food and fundraising to benefit Meghan’s campaign for City Council. The sold-out event saw a throng of  Meghan’s supporters enjoying the delicious food, great service, and lively conversation at the classic French bistro in the heart of the Helms Bakery District.

A silent auction followed dinner featuring the work of local artists Michelle Souza and Leslie Rosdol, and Oregonian Artist Greeley Wells (Meghan’s father). A number of area businesses and individuals donated gift certificates to the silent auction, including Koncept 67 Salon, Sada’s Flowers, Goda Yoga, voice lessons from Cecily Gardner, plumbing services from Chase Palmer, a garden design consultation from Mayita Dinos, and a bike tune-up from Bikes & Books, as well as local restaurants Shalimar Cuisine of India, and Conservatory for Coffee, Tea and Cocoa.

Meghan’s next campaign event is a spectacular evening of dining and theater on February 24 culminating in a groundbreaking interpretation of George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 at The Actors Gang at Ivy Station. The location of the dinner is TBA — we will soon be taking reservations and payments online!

NOTE: this letter was written to the Council before tonight’s City Council Agenda was made public

Dear City Council, Cultural Affairs Commission, City Manager and staff,

The Summer Concert Series has been an immensely popular program, serving Culver City residents and attracting thousands of visitors from all over the region successfully for 17 years. The concerts have great cultural as well as monetary value. The concerts bring in needed tax revenue during the Series and beyond; as visitors first attracted by the concerts return to Culver City and its businesses. This is precisely why the Series has been funded by Redevelopment money for so many years.

We know that the loss of Redevelopment has serious financial consequences for Culver City, which will necessitate significant changes to our budget. Our Summer Concert Series should remain a priority. I propose that we can minimize the city’s financial contribution, while still maintaining this vital programming, by lowering costs and leveraging funds from outside sources.

I urge you to take the following steps:

- reduce the series from eight weeks to five weeks (the month of August) to reduce costs

- work with local businesses to increase sponsorships: the 2010 Series raised $16,000 in in-kind donations, and around $7,500 in cash donations; we can and must grow those sponsorships, now that the Series is in danger of disappearing

- allow residents and visitors to donate directly to the series (via a Kickstarter campaign or similar mechanism)

I sent out an appeal to Culver City Downtown Neighborhood Association members last week to save the Series, and in less than 24 hours, received over $1,000 in pledges. I am confident that with a wide-ranging, visible, long-term campaign, we can raise much more from the Culver City community, and from supporters throughout the region.

Going forward, the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation should take a on a more active and visible role in the community – similar to the Culver City Education Foundation. City Manager John Nachbar, who is the CEO of the Foundation, has agreed to look into its structure and capabilities. The non-profit Foundation should be enabled to solicit and receive individual donations in addition to the grant money it already pursues. With publicity, outreach, and fundraisers, the Culver City Cultural Affairs Foundation has the potential to attract resident and business support for the arts in Culver City, as it faces the loss of Redevelopment funding.

Beyond the Series, we need to engage in a community dialogue and long-term planning so that the elimination of Redevelopment funding does not mean the end of all cultural programming in our city. We have a thriving arts-based economy in Culver City; through our theatres, galleries, Sony and Culver Studios, the creative spaces in the Hayden tract, and the multitude of Culver City residents who work in the arts. The arts are our bread and butter, not the cherry on top, and they must remain priorities for our city.

– — – — – –

Tonight, the Council will decide whether or not to fund the series – possibly it will become privately-run & funded… more in the agenda here (item J-3).

Just returned from the 20th annual Empowerment Congress, where I enjoyed an inspiring speech by the Rev. Al Sharpton and an informative workshop by California Forward entitled: “The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Realignment and Its Impact on Communities.”

My favorite quote from Rev. Sharpton, as he talked about the importance of the upcoming presidential election and its impact on healthcare, Medicare and Social Security: “This election ain’t about Obama, it’s about yo Mama!”

He reminded us how hard it was for African Americans to finally get the right to vote, and spoke passionately about the more recent challenges we all face with the new restrictive voting laws being put in place all over the country.

During the workshop, Kathay Feng, Executive Director of California Common Cause introduced an idea that would help get better voter participation: same-day-registration. It’s simple, it works in other states, and it could drastically improve voter turnout in California, where we get 25% participation if we’re lucky.

2012 is a year of change. Much of this change is painful, as we lack the resources we have come to depend upon, but some of this change is salutary: giving us the opportunity to re-evaluate our programs and maximize their effectiveness both in terms of their results and their costs. I encourage you to look into the governmental reforms proposed by California Forward, they’re definitely worth consideration.

Culver City was well represented at the Empowerment Congress. I ran into Bill Wynn, newly-elected president of the Culver City Democratic Club and member of the Martin Luther King Junior Celebration Committee (remember to attend the free celebration tomorrow!), Donna Stein Associate Director of Culver City’s Wende Museum who was a member on the “Empowerment of Art” panel, and Councilmember Andrew Weissman.

Above all, today was about empowerment: getting citizens involved in their communities and in their government. That is a great message to ring in the new year.

Help Us Launch Meghan’s Campaign for City Council this Sunday!

Meghan Sahli-Wells will officially declare her candidacy for
Culver City Council at a “Campaign Kick-off” event this Sunday, January 8, 2012

Join Meghan, current and former City officials, and other community leaders and supporters who believe she is the best choice to serve on the Culver City Council. The event is open to all members of the public, who are invited to come learn more about the candidate, her ideas for improving Culver City, and her record of achievement and service to the community.

The Campaign Kick-off will feature a number of keynote speakers, including Meghan, School Board President Karlo Silbiger, Downtown Neighborhood Association founder Judy Miller, CCUSD Environmental Sustainability Committee member Shea Cunningham, and possibly U.S. Representative Karen Bass, who is tentatively scheduled to appear. Refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to contact@vote4meghan.com.

Location:
Gregg Fleishman Studio
3850 Main Street
Culver City 90232
NE corner of Culver and Main

Date / Time:
Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012
3 PM – 5 PM

RSVP:
contact@vote4meghan.com

Numerous current City officials, representatives and community leaders have already endorsed Meghan’s candidacy, including U.S. Representative Karen Bass, Culver City Council member and former Mayor Christopher Armenta, School Board President Karlo Silbiger, and newly elected School Board members Laura Chardiet and Nancy Goldberg. “I cannot imagine a better advocate for Culver City residents,” Goldberg said of Meghan.
Gregg Fleishman Studio is a visionary storefront gallery created by architect, designer, artist and inventor Gregg Fleishman, whose work is largely informed by geometry and functionality. Fleishman has been a resident of Culver City for forty-seven years, contributing his energy and imagination to enliven the City’s creative efforts.

Please note: There is bike parking at the front entrance of the gallery. Culver City Bus #1 stops right in front of the gallery. There is 2-hour free parking in the Ince parking structure at 9090 Culver Blvd., and in the Cardiff parking structure at 3846 Cardiff Ave.
We hope to see you there for this fun and exciting Campaign Kick-off!

Meghan Sahli-Wells
Campaign for Culver City Council 2012
FPPC # 1322592
Election April 10, 2012

Holding the election packet on December 19th – photo by Karim Sahli

The news:

I’m happy to announce that I’ve just “pulled papers” for the 2012 Culver City Council election!

As a community organizer, I’ve worked toward creating a healthy, safe and sustainable city that encourages public participation and transparent governance. In neighborhood organizations, on city and school committees, as co-founder and organizer of multiple advocacy groups, and as a fixture at City Council meetings, I’ve had the chance to hear and work alongside countless Culver City residents and city officials. I’d like to bring my experience, grassroots organizing and listening skills to the Council.

The field:

Exceptionally, four out of five Council seats are open for the election, to be held on April 10th, 2012. Incumbents Andrew Weissman and Mayor Mehaul O’Leary are running. Also expected to run is Scott Malsin, who resigned his position during the last Council meeting of the year (December 12th) in order to retain his lifetime health benefits.

Current Councilmember Christopher Armenta has decided not to run for re-election, as his job at the Board of Equalization has become increasingly demanding. That leaves Jeffrey Cooper, in the second year of his first term on the Council, as the only unchanged seat.

Potential candidates have until January 17th to pull and file their papers [this date will be extended to January 23rd, assuming incumbent Armenta doesn't file].

Stay tuned for more information! Feel free to contact me at meghan@vote4meghan.com.

On December 5th, 2011, the City Council/Redevelopment Agency Board voted unanimously to accept the Combined Properties proposal for Parcel B at 9300 Culver Blvd. – the long-empty lot between Trader Joe’s, the Culver Studios mansion and Culver Hotel in Downtown Culver City.

According to former Culver City Mayor Gary Silbiger, this is at least the third attempt to develop this central plot of public land in the last 25 years.

Designed by Culver City-based Ehrlich Architects, the chosen project distinguishes itself from the other three proposals as the only option without an inner courtyard. This, many believe, is its strength: rather than funneling visitors into the project – and, by extension, away from other downtown businesses – it “activates” the Downtown by encouraging circulation all around the development.

project renderings by Ehrlich Architects

The most noted feature of the project is its “Grand Staircase.” Inspired by the Spanish Steps in Rome and New York City’s Highline, the stairs provide a huge open seating area which may be used for resting, people-watching, and will form amphitheatre-like seating for events such as Culver City’s popular summer concert series.

The developers will apply for LEED status, incorporating a graywater system, solar panels (already mandated by the city), greenroof elements on the elevated plaza, and windows that actually open!

Though I question the need for office space in the heart of Downtown Culver City, and hoped, like many other residents, for a bona fide design competition to attract more attention and stiffer competition for this key piece of public land in Culver City [read more here], ultimately, I believe the chosen project is the best of the four proposals.

Here’s why:

• the ample public seating space of the Grand Stair
• the massing (a.k.a. bulk of the building) is on the Washington (Trader Joe’s parking lot) side which is the least interesting side of the lot, as opposed to the other projects which mass on the side  of the Culver Studios Mansion
• it’s the only proposal that embraces the Culver Studios Mansion and Culver Hotel: the view from the Plaza is directed toward the Mansion and the Hotel
• it’s also the only proposal that limits car access on the Culver Studios Mansion side – thus maximizing pedestrian access, safety and comfort

The main point of concern with many residents is the flashy North East corner which, in renderings, looks like a mini Times Square. Note that Culver City has a billboard ban (not that one would know it given the huge billboards at the Fox Hills Mall / Westfield Culver City). However, since the proposals were first submitted – and negative input received – the development team has made some changes, which we hope to see soon.

More Westfield-like advertizing???

Next steps

Going forward, residents need to pay attention to some key points and keep giving input on this vital project as the City prepares to enter into a formal agreement with the developers (called a Disposition and Development Agreement – DDA). According to the 12/05/11 staff report:

“Selecting a developer for negotiation does not commit the City or the Agency to sell the property. That cannot happen unless and until an economic report is first prepared and made available for public review detailing the proposed purchase price and other terms and conditions of the proposed sale, and until further input on the report and proposed sale is first obtained at a noticed public hearing.”

In other words, there is still time to influence the project to ensure that it is done well.

The following concerns were developed by Culver City Downtown Neighborhood Association members, who encourage all residents to continue giving input:

• the developer needs to guarantee the amount of public space and seating in the DDA: if it’s not a binding part of the city contract, we may risk losing the very aspect that attracted support for the project in the first place
• a cluster of shade-providing trees must be a part of the expansion of Town Plaza; therefore the subterranean parking structure must be engineered so as to include full shade trees
• employees must have free or drastically reduced parking either on-site or on the roof of the city’s Ince parking structure; many buildings in the area require tenants to lease parking spaces for their employees, Parcel B must do the same to avoid employee encroachment in residential neighborhoods
• the city should consider leasing the land, rather than selling it: this keeps the property under the city’s control; lease prices increase over time, providing substantial future revenue; the developers will be able to put their money into the development instead of land price, significantly improving the property (which will in turn make it more valuable, bringing in more money for the city, etc. etc.)
• we must ensure that Culver City’s billboard ban is fully respected, and that legal on-site advertizing be downsized, and fitting for Downtown Culver City

See the full proposal here.

The School Board meeting tonight, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m., is packed with important, controversial and possibly game-changing issues. Thank goodness it will take place in City Hall’s Council Chambers (9770 Culver Blvd. Culver City 90232) because we can expect a crowd beyond the capacity of district headquarters.

For starters, the legality of a no-bid contract worth approximately $400,000 for the new CCUSD sports complex will be discussed. The sports complex itself has been a controversial issue (read more in Culver City Progress) as has been the process of allocating millions of dollars in the district’s capital improvement funds.

This very subject spurred the creation of a new community-led group called Accountability for Culver Education (ACE), dedicated to transparency and accountability in CCUSD decision-making. Read their open letter to the community here.

Later on the agenda, the four capital improvement projects themselves will be voted upon: sports complex improvements, elevators to make the middle and high schools ADA compliant, Robert Frost Auditorium renovation and the solar power initiative.

ACE’s recommendations for improving the way capital funds are managed are also on the agenda, though why the recommendations will be considered after the vote on the proposed projects is counter-intuitive, to say the least.

The evening will include a farewell reception to honor the two outgoing board members: Member and former Board President Steven Gourley, who decided not to run for re-election, and current Board President Scott Zeidman, who earlier this month lost his re-election bid by a mere 38 votes. (If you think your vote doesn’t count, think again.) The reception will take place during a 20-minute recess of the Board meeting in the Dan Pattachia room of City Hall.

Following the reception, public participation at school board meetings will be discussed. Highlights of the new proposals include limiting the length of board meetings and clearing the room and arresting members of the public who are deemed “disruptive.” Don’t believe me? Download and check out item 14.1a on the agenda (p. 47).

Hope to see you there!

“Parcel B” at 9300 Culver Blvd.  is the long-time empty lot between the Culver Hotel, Culver Studios and Trader Joe’s in Downtown Culver City. Development proposals have come and gone throughout the years, the last project having been financed by now defunct Lehman Brothers. This acre of public land is slated for development once again, with the same entitlements as the former project: “Parcel B has entitlements for a three story, 118,000 square foot, office and retail development with 84 subterranean parking spaces” according to the 02/14/11 Redevelopment Agency staff report.

Along with many residents, I have taken issue with the fact that the Redevelopment Agency (RDV for short) has insisted on maintaining the existing entitlements – why would we need more office spaces when there are already prime downtown spaces that have been sitting empty for years? Since previous projects were unsuccessful, perhaps the public needs to rethink the space entirely, under today’s circumstances? (See my previous post on entitlements and public input here.) But, the proverbial train has already left the station – the cost and time necessary to start the entitlement process anew is, according to RDV, not worth it.

What we have now is a choice between four development proposals: “Culver X” by the Tolkin Group, “Parc & Main” by Cardiff Realty Holdings, “Paseo” by Runyon Partners, and the “9300 Culver” Combined Properties Inc. proposal. After a rocky start with public input (see details in this article), RDV finally held a meeting where residents could see all four projects and speak freely with the developers on 10/24 (see staff report here). Furthermore, all five RDV Agency/Council members sincerely asked the public for their input, admitting it was a hard choice for them.

So, now it’s up to us! If you care about the development of Culver City, the use of public land, and want to have some impact, please review the projects online and let the five members of the RDV Agency (a.k.a. our Councilmembers) know what you think would best fit on this prime piece of public land in the heart of our city. You may simply pick your favorite of the proposed projects, or comment on aspects you like or don’t like about them. If you don’t like any of them, be sure to let RDV/Council know!

Mayor Mehaul O’Leary: micheal.oleary@culvercity.org (310) 754-9787

Vice-Mayor Scott Malsin: scott.malsin@culvercity.org (310) 398-3183

Council Member Chris Armenta: christopher.armenta@culvercity.org (310) 384-1490

Council Member Andy Weisman: andrew.weissman@culvercity.org (310) 839-5217

Council Member Jeff Cooper: jeffrey.cooper@culvercity.org  (310) 344-8033

To see the projects:

Curbed LA has a very succinct presentation of the four developments here.

To download detailed materials from each developer, city staff reports, as well as developers’ contact information see Culver City’s dedicated website page.

RDV/Council will cast their decisive vote on December 5th.

My strong, sweet, amazing Grandmother, Dr. Eleanor Haburton, passed away on October 12th at the age of 95.

I was able to share her outstanding accomplishments and tenacity when I was honored as a 2012 Remarkable Woman by the National Women’s Political Caucus L.A. Westside.

Eleanor was the ultimate Remarkable Woman:

Tribute To Eleanor Haburton from Meghan Sahli-Wells on Vimeo.

My family had the great pleasure of living with her for the past four years, during which we supported and learned from each other in countless ways.

We miss her so much.

She will inspire us always.

The Culver City Democratic Club is thrilled to host Comedy Night! starring Betsy Salkind, Camille Solari and Ronnie Jayne.

Click here to download Comedy Night Flyer

A fun & funny fundraiser, Comedy Night! will benefit the Culver City Democratic Club in its work to get Democrats into office on local, state and national levels.

What: Comedy Night! starring Betsy Salkind, Camille Solari and Ronnie Jayne

When: Thursday, October 27th, doors open at 7pm for refreshments & socializing, show begins at 7:30pm

Where:  Amvets Hall, 10858 Culver Blvd. Culver City 90230 (free parking in front)

Cost: Tickets are only $30 per person or 2 for $50 – contact Meghan: secondvp@ccdemclub.org or 310-845-5831

About the artists:

Known as the thinking person’s stand-up comic, headliner Betsy Salkind has garnered rave reviews for her work. The Boston Globe says, “There are countless ways to make someone laugh, and Betsy Salkind knows most of them. Want sarcastic wit? Political humor? Or maybe just a good animal mime? Salkind can pull all that off and more.”  Betsy Salkind was a writer for “Saturday Night Special” and “Roseanne,”  wrote and starred in the critically-acclaimed “Anne Frank Superstar,” and has appeared as a stand-up on numerous TV shows including “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Best known for her squirrel impression, she refuses to be pigeonholed as a rodent. To see this and other hilarious works, visit www.betsysalkind.com.

Camille Solari is a versatile performer, who, in addition to doing stand-up comedy, writes, directs, acts, and models. She wrote and starred in Boston Girls, and Comedy Central Sit N Spin, and has appeared in numerous films and television shows. Bill Zehme writes in IMBd.com: “Her unique approach to the competitive thrash of Hollywood propelled her to write and star in her own quirky and delightful independent feature films […]“ – many of which are available on her website www.camillesolari.com.

Culver City’s own Ronnie Jayne is a singer, songwriter, pianist, and entertainer, as well as past president of the Culver City Democratic Club. She has performed all over the country and internationally. Her one-woman show about baby boomers, “No, I Want Red!” is a must-see. Excerpts and Ronnie’s full biography on www.ronniejayne.com.