City Manager’s Office
Unique Architecture – The Culture Affairs Foundation presents the third in a series of architectureTALKS fundraisers on Sunday, June 7, from 2 to 4, at 9520 Jefferson Blvd. This is an immersive experience into the creative design environment of wHY. Guests are invited into the creative environment at wHY, one of the region’s most in-demand architecture and design firms, based in Culver City. Thomas Aujero Small, architectural writer and a Cultural Affairs Commissioner, will give a behind-the-scenes look into the creative process at wHY. Further, Kulapat Yantrasast, founding partner and creative director of wHY, will discuss how wHY enriches projects through design conversations and establishes new ideas through four workshops – buildings, grounds, objects and ideas, measuring success through impact on the environment, adaptability, and usability rather than a specific style or image.
This intimate event will allow guests to sit at the desks of various experts — artists, civic leaders, designers and curators — and be completely immersed in the design environment. The discussion, focusing on how architecture and design serve people in the 21st century, will be presented alongside the firm’s recent work, including Pomona College’s new Studio Art Hall, the Samurai exhibition at LACMA, Project 120 in Chicago, as well as other local, national and international projects. The $35 per person admission is tax deductible with proceeds benefiting the technical enhancement of the community’s Vets Auditorium. Parking is available in the wHY parking lot and along Jefferson. To purchase tickets, see architectureTALKS-wHY.eventbrite.com.
City Clerk’s Office
Taste of the Nation – This annual culinary fundraising event will take place Downtown at Media Park on Sunday, June 7, between 1 and 4. (VIP tickets allow entry 30 minutes earlier.) Featuring tastings from 40 of the region’s top chefs who donate their time, talent, and passion to end childhood hunger in America, this event is produced by Share our Strength and is co-sponsored by the Ccty. Media Park and Canfield Avenue will be closed from 7 a.m. on Saturday until 10 p.m. on Sunday. ce.strength.org/losangeles
Community Development Dept.
TEDx Culver City – The second annual TEDx Culver City conference will be Saturday, June 13, from1 to 5. The “Ideas in Motion” conference will be at the Ivy Substation from 1 to 5. www.TEDxCulverCity.com.
The Flame Broiler – Tenant improvements are complete on a new restaurant, 10758 Jefferson Blvd., at Overland Avenue.
Westfield Culver City – Splash Fruit has submitted plans for a new kiosk at Westfield Culver City.
Chop Daddy’s – The Building Safety Division issued a building permit for tenant improvements for a new southern barbeque restaurant, 9552 Washington Blvd.
Lodge Bread Co. – Tenant improvement plans have been submitted for a new retail bakery at 8820 Washington Blvd. Lodge Bread Co.’s bread is baked in the style of San Francisco sourdough.
Juice Served Here – This retailer has submitted tenant improvement plans for a new pre-packaged juice store at 8830 Washington Blvd., part of the Platform project, near the Transit Oriented Development.
Blue Bottle Coffee Co.– Plans submitted for a new coffee shop also at 8830 Washington. Blue Bottle is a coffee roaster and retailer headquartered in Oakland. Focusing on single-origin beans.
Document Approved – The Downtown Business Assn. maintenance memorandum of understanding management for the new fiscal year has been approved by the City Council.
Business Retention – Last October, Economic Development staff began implementing the Business Retention Program pursuant to the city’s Economic Development Plan. As part of the program, staff utilizes software to determine which Culver City businesses have leases nearing expiration, and then contacts the businesses to determine which are renewing their leases and staying within Culver City boundaries, and which are leaving. Staff will be maintaining a community bulletin board as a repository for available space and interested businesses. The bulletin board will be promoted via the city’s website, the Chamber of Commerce, and at the city’s Business Tax counter.
Sāmbār – Sāmbār, the newest restaurant opened by Akasha Richmond and Alan Shulman in the former Ford’s Filling Station building, will offer healthy Indian-influenced cuisine.
Now Open – The Economic Development Division and the C Chamber of Commerce are launching a new marketing program intended to improve the awareness and patronage of businesses that have recently opened in Culver City (within 90 days), via the display of a pre-approved temporary banners. New businesses interested in participating in this free program may call the Chamber office at 310.287.3850.
Arts District Summer Crawl – The Culver City Arts District invites the community to explore their unique collection of galleries, restaurants and specialty retail on Saturday, June 20, from 3 to 6. A casual, self-guided tour of the District, galleries will feature works from new and distinguished artists. culvercityartsdistrict.com/.
Active-Projects-in-the-City Map – The Community Development and Information Technology departments have developed an interactive development map noting all new development/discretionary projects in the city. The map is divided into three categories based on the city’s process: Submitted/Under Review, Approved/Entitled and Under Construction. The map allows users to click on a project and learn more about the status, size and type of project and to contact a planner for addition information. http://www.culvercity.org/ccprojects/index.html.
Parks, Recreation and Community Services Dept.
Vets Complex – The Rental Office has increased its staff by adding a third administrative clerk. In the near future, this will enable the Rental Office to open for extended weeknight hours and on Saturdays.
Vets Auditorium Lineup – The Angel City Derby Girls roller derby team returns to the Vets on Saturday. angelcityderby.com/.
Americans with Disabilities Act – Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Sunday, June 14, at 4:30, at the Senior Center. This landmark legislation was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 and ushered in civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities. The event will feature a performance, “Dancing through Parkinson’s.” Guests will see a screening of the documentary short film “Case for a Cure.” There will be a q-and-a session with a panel of experts – as well as resource tables from local health and disability organizations, free appetizers and beverages, and a special ADA25 giveaway item. The event is free.
Volunteer Program – BCulver City RSVP is now referred to as The Culver City Volunteer program. Recently the program assisted with recruiting volunteers for coverage during the employee appreciation luau, the Exchange Club’s annual Classic Car Show and the Culver City Bicycle Count.
Participants have fun and meet new people while participating in a meaningful way. There’s a tradition in Culver City of volunteering and donating to those in need and to the city as a whole. Contact Jill S. Thomsen at 310.253.6722 or at jill.thomsen@culvercity.org.
Police Dept.
Bike to School Day –– In partnership with Jim Shanman, Culver City Safe Routes to School coordinator, police officers worked with parents and children taking a short walk/bike/skate to school. Lessons such as stopping at curbs, crossing at corners, looking in all directions, being respectful to neighbors and what to do in an emergency were highlighted.
Coffee with a Cop – The department recently hosted a Coffee with a Cop event at the Starbucks, 9718 Washington Blvd. Community members came together for casual conversation over coffee. It was an opportunity for the men and women of the department to connect with our community.
Recruits Graduate — The department welcomes officers Juan Hernandez, Marissa Yabko, and Thomas Call, who graduated from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Academy Class No. 405 this month.
Public Works Dept.
Mandatory Water Restrictions – Golden State Water Co. will host a public meeting Friday at 6 in the Rotunda Room of the Vets Auditorium to help customers understand the changes in mandatory water use restrictions, associated enforcement mechanisms, and information on conservation rebates, programs, and other tools to help customers reduce their water use. www.gswater.com or call Golden State customer service at 800.999.4033, TTY 877.933.9533, 24 hours a day.
Proposed Restriction Update – At the Monday, June 22 meeting, the City Council will consider authorizing the implementation of Level 2 Water Restrictions per the Municipal Code. The City Council staff report will be available for viewing on the city’s website (www.culvercity.org) on or after June 18, or at the City Hall Engineering Division, 9770 Culver Blvd. Persons unable to attend the meeting but who wish to submit written comments may do so by any of the following means to the City Clerk’s Office, before 5:30 on June 22:
- Letter addressed to Culver City City Hall, Public Works Dept., 9770 Culver Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232),
- By fax to 310.253.5626,
- By emailing Rudolph.Galindo@culvercity.org or
- By calling Mr. Galindo at 310.253.5618.
Report Water Waste – You can report Water Waste Issues through the GoRequest Application on your smart phone. Search for Culver City Connect to download the application, which provides you the option of taking photos and reporting violations of the city’s Water Conservation Ordinance. Or at http://user.govoutreach.com/culvercity/.
Or
www.culvercity.org/en/Government/PublicWorks/EnvironmentalPrograms/WaterConservation
Line Warranty Launch – The City Council has approved an agreement with Service Line Warranties of America to sell warranties to residential property owners to cover the cost to repair or replace their utility service lines. Service Line has entered into agreements with Culver City-based plumbers and contractors to perform the repair work. A public notice announcing the new program and answering frequently asked questions has been approved and mailed out.
Energy Efficiency Programs – In the past two weeks, 642 fluorescent light fixtures were replaced with energy efficient Light Emitting Diode (LED) fixtures at City Hall.
Replacements of the light fixtures are part of an energy efficiency program that, when completed at the end of this year, will save nearly $1.8 million over the 12-year life of the project. Compared with April of last year, City Hall has decreased its energy use by 10 percent.
Alley Maintenance – Alley maintenance will begin on Monday, July 6. Staff mailed notifications to those who own property adjacent to public alleys requiring them to begin clearing away any vegetation and landscape that overhangs or protrudes into the alley. The alley maintenance consists of cutting down weeds, collecting abandoned items, grading unpaved alleys, and filling potholes in paved alleys.
Temporary Street Closure – The Higuera Street Bridge will be temporarily closed from Sunday through Friday. The bridge is being assessed for complete removal and replacement. The temporary closure is necessary in order to undergo testing and observation in order to accommodate the design of the new structure. Construction is scheduled to start next spring.
Sewer Main Rehabilitation – This project is 25 percent complete, on schedule for completion by year’s end. To date, the contractor, Southwest Pipeline & Trenchless Corp., has cleaned nine miles and installed four miles of liner as part of project. In the coming months, the contractor will continue to clean the existing aging sewer mains and install trenchless liner in the remaining project areas.
http://www.culvercity.org/Articles/SewerProject
Public Works Receives Grant – The department has received a $10,000 grant from the Senior Center Assn., which will help fund the replacement of a new slurry seal coat on the Senior Center Parking Lot. Guard Top, asphalt sealer, will be installed on the parking lot. This project includes skin patching about 2,000 square feet of broken asphalt areas and the restriping of parking stalls. An asphalt skin patch is essentially a thin layer of asphalt that is spread out and rolled over a distressed asphalt surface, as a way to temporarily keep the asphalt from cracking or breaking any further. This $26,000 project will begin in the next few weeks.
Construction Updates
Southern California Edison will continue working on Windsor Way between Canterbury Drive and Buckingham Parkway to remove an existing deteriorated underground vault and replace it with a new one. This project is expected to be completed by June 12.
AT&T is installing a new fiber optic line on Uplander Way, south of Bristol Parkway. This work should be completed by Thursday,
Transportation Dept.
Limited 1 Summer-Only Service – Culver CityBus will operate its Limited 1 Summer-Only Service on Washington Boulevard from June 6 through Sept. 7. This service will operate every 20-25 minutes between 12 noon and 8, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, primarily along the same route as Line 1. This route will service major Line 1 stops from West Los Angeles Transit Center to the Expo Culver City Station, Downtown Culver City, and Venice Beach. www.culvercitybus.com
Mr. Nachbar, the City Manager, may be contacted at john.nachbar@culvercity.org