Oil study sessions scheduled for May 5 and May 10
With more than 1,000 pages of comments related to the draft Environmental Impact Report, Community Development Director Ken Robertson said that EIR consultants plan to release the final EIR by the end of May.
Once the final EIR is complete, city hearings are expected to take place in June, with a ballot measure being drafted in July.
The City Council called for a minimum of two study sessions to talk with EIR and Cost Benefit Analysis consultants, ask questions and determine whether any public comments will change the scope of the documents.
On May 5, the city will hold a CBA study session from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Council Chambers. The council will listen to a presentation from consulting firm Kosmont Companies and discuss potential changes.
The council will ask whether Kosmont feels new data released about the historical volume of oil drilled in Redondo Beach is relevant to modern estimates and technology. Kosmont’s “low” estimate anticipates 10 million barrels of oil would be extracted over the life of the project. However, data reveals Redondo Beach extracted 5 million barrels from the same oil field over the same number of years as the proposed 35-year project.
On May 10, the City Council will hold a study session from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to discuss the draft EIR. Consulting firm Marine Research Specialists will present key data and comments, and the council will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Both study sessions will be open to the public and questions will be accepted.
Additional study sessions are expected in the summer or fall following the final EIR, in which residents will be able to learn more about the major EIR findings through presentations and Q&A sessions.
The Health Impact Assessment, which was pulled from the city website per request by consultants McDaniel Lambert, is expected in July. The council members requested an update from the consultants at their second Council meeting in May to learn about the change in scope and confirm the timeline for the release of the new HIA.
Fin Fest and the Summer Concert Series are on
The City Council unanimously approved the Discovery Channel’s Fin Fest, celebrating national Shark Week, on Aug. 9-10. Within the terms of the agreement, Discovery Channel will serve as the national sponsor for the Hermosa Beach Summer Concert Series, and that weekend’s concert will be produced with Fin Fest.
The partnership between Allen Sanford, who runs the Summer Concert Series, and the Discovery Channel will provide long-term financial stability and viability to the much-loved local event. Fin Fest will include a Kids Zone for families and a bike corral to address alternative transportation.
Council approved the project, noting the family-friendly nature of the event and the Discovery Channel’s “good reputation,” but requested an additional discussion regarding parking alternatives during the busy summer weekend.
Businesses speak out against 50/50
Several business owners from the downtown area took a stand, speaking out against the 50/50 rule, which requires late-night restaurants with alcohol conditional use permits to submit quarterly records, upon request, showing that a minimum of 50 percent of their income is from food sales.
They argued that the regulation is antiquated, and damages the ability of high quality restaurants to meet the standards imposed, noting that to meet the 50/50 threshold, businesses sometimes allocate a percentage of drink sales to snack food items, such as chips, or fix prices and specials on food and alcohol to try to stay within the key percentage.
Councilwoman Carolyn Petty said she was very concerned with the 50/50 rule. After evaluating menus from several downtown eateries, she noted that the price of two glasses of wine would generally exceed the price of one full meal, making it difficult for restaurants to manage customer needs and financial balance during an average dinner. She called the rule unfriendly to businesses, and equated it to having the government get involved in business pricing models.
Councilwoman Nanette Barragan and Mayor Pro Tem Pete Tucker insisted there are differences between bars and restaurants, and Barragan argued that if restaurants feel they can not be compliant with the 50/50 rule in their business model and desire late night hours, it is within their right to apply and request for a different type of CUP.
When financial records were requested last year, some businesses failed to submit records in a timely manner or were found non-compliant, according to the staff report. Mayor Michael DiVirgilio said that it was important to understand the context – records were originally requested to ensure that paid sales taxes were correct, not to evaluate 50/50 compliance.
In the end, the council voted to receive and file the report from city staff. Discussions about the 50/50 rule will be continued in August.
