On Monday, November 14, at 4:00 (before the regular city council meeting), Culver City's City Council will discuss a proposed city council strategic plan for 2016-2021.

The plan outlines six general goals for the city:

1. Increase civic engagement
2. Enhance the restoration and utilization of Ballona Creek
3. Improve transportation circulation and reduce traffic
4. Promote workforce diversity and development
5. Identify new revenue sources to maintain financial stability
6. Enhance Culver City's reputation as a city of kindness. 

Each goal has several subheads, which you can see below or HERE. But I was especially interested in the sources for new revenue, which includes discussion of a marijuana excise tax as well as a transient occupancy tax for short-term rentals such as AirBNB. 

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Here's more detail on the goals:

Goal One: Increase civic engagement

Establish a comprehensive community engagement initiative to expand access to information and create opportunities for stakeholders to play an active role in discussing public policy and setting priorities.

Objective 1: Increase community participation with and in city

• Review the citywide communications assessment for recommendations to modernize community outreach and potentially allocate new resources towards the city’s communications effort.
• Create a culver city unified school district/city youth shared resource page on the city’s website to promote community service opportunities for youth.
• Create city council-appointed citizen advisory task forces out of community issue meetings. Task forces will meet and develop policy recommendations to staff and the city council.

Objective 2: Increase participation in the city’s nonprofit organizations and service clubs

• Post a nonprofit and service club directory on the city’s website.
• Hold quarterly meetings with nonprofit organizations and service clubs to share information and coordinate activities.
• Establish a baseline measurement of the number of volunteers and volunteer hours and periodically reassess participation.
• Promote existing programs to increase resident and employee volunteer participation in nonprofit organization activities and boards.
• Work with Culver City’s service clubs to establish a coordinated marketing campaign for membership.
• Create Culver City “big Sunday” event.
• Request Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Committee create a day of service in conjunction with an MLK day event.

Objective 3: Increase voter participation

• Study vote by mail and election consolidation.
• Evaluate the proposed legislative changes by the secretary of state and their impact on voting in Culver City.
• Enhance Birdee’s visibility through additional promotion via printed materials and social media.
• Create a student volunteer program for voter registration.

 

Goal Two: Enhance the restoration and utilization of Ballona Creek

Conduct an in depth study and analysis of the Ballona Creek and trail environs and issues and opportunities relating to recreation and beautification.

Objective 1: Make Ballona Creek more walkable, bikeable, and connected to the city

• Hire a consultant to prepare a preliminary Ballona Creek bike and pedestrian plan (plan) in coordination with the city’s general plan update efforts.
• Research the reclamation of the Ballona Creek right-of-way. Explore legal, political/jurisdictional, and financial implications.
• Work with adjacent property owners to create agreements to improve Ballona Creek’s entry access points and other right-of-way improvements.
• Make improvements to Ballona Creek’s right-of-way landscaping.
• Adopt the recommendations of the plan as part of the general plan update to the circulation element.
• Implement the plan, including the capital improvement project (cip) budget.

Objective 2: Make Ballona Creek a recreational attraction

• Identify and determine feasibility of potential Ballona Creek recreational improvements.
• Include Ballona Creek recreation improvements in the Culver City recreational master plan and prepare cost estimates.
• Add a recreational element to the general plan update.
• Implement the plan, including the capital improvement project budget.

 

Goal Three: Improve transportation circulation and reduce traffic congestion

Bring together public and private sector expertise to better understand traffic impacts, reduce congestion, and provide a safer and more efficient transportation system.

Objective 1: Work toward no overall growth in average daily traffic citywide while enhancing traffic safety

• Develop a methodology to estimate a total average daily traffic for citywide traffic.
• Hire a consultant and perform average daily traffic measurement.
• Revise the transportation demand management program to incorporate the city’s goal of no average daily traffic growth and evaluate potential incentive programs.
• Hire a consultant to create a robust transportation demand management program and grow local business support for it.
• Identify any bicycle and pedestrian barriers in the implementation of the transportation demand management program.
• Develop a program to encourage residents to reduce trips by ridesharing and other alternative forms of transportation.
• Research and develop alternative transportation programs, such as on-demand fixed route busses; subsidized private ride sharing; a pool for discounted TAP cards; or a program of parking credits to allow less required parking, if the cost savings are allocated to tap cards offered to a percentage of commercial building tenants.
• Evaluate the vision zero initiative and other programs, policies, or initiatives that prioritize transportation safety and pursue the elimination of death and severe injury crashes on our roadways.

 

Goal Four: Promote workforce diversity and development

Conduct and expand outreach to a broader range of individuals to increase employee diversity. Employ creative recruitment techniques and further promote diversity within the city’s organizational culture.

Objective 1: Advance workforce development and succession

• Engage local high school students in meaningful work assignments that will stimulate an interest in future career opportunities with the city, utilizing social media to market current city programs (i.e. Student worker program, police Explorer program, teen citizen academy, and fire department mentorship)
• Continue participation in president Obama’s “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative on a county and federal level.
• Initiate mandatory continuing education for specific job classifications.
• Implement a pre-supervisory academy to better prepare employees for promotional opportunities.

Objective 2: Increase diversity in the workplace

• Expand recruitment outreach to women, minorities, veterans, and people with disabilities by proactively reaching out using social media, professional organizations, and personal follow up from job fairs and other sources of contact.
• Develop and grow the city’s image as a role model for equal opportunity, inclusion, and diversity.
• Provide training on inclusion and cultural sensitivity to reinforce the value of diversity.

 

Goal Five: Identify new revenue sources to maintain financial stability

Develop efforts to effectively create new revenue sources for the City of Culver City.

Objective 1: Potential retail marijuana excise tax

• Based on the outcome of the upcoming statewide ballot measure to legalize the sale of marijuana, the city council would consider whether dispensaries will be permitted in Culver City.
• If permitted, the city council would consider a marijuana tax for placement on the ballot during the April 2018 municipal election.
• Analysis by and recommendations from the finance advisory committee  on a marijuana tax by the end of 2017.

Objective 2: Application of transient occupancy tax to short-term rentals

• FAC consideration of whether to apply the transient occupancy tax to short-term rentals (AirBNB, etc.) Until formal regulations are adopted.
• FAC recommendation to the city council by the end of june 2017
• City council consideration of FAC’s recommendation by September 2017.

Objective 3: Expansion of funding alternatives

• FAC to explore potential public/private partnerships for the city.
• Continue to pursue grants to leverage city funding.
• Continue to support legislative measures to enhance city revenues.

 

Goal Six: Enhance Culver City’s reputation as a city of kindness

Create a coalition of individuals, organizations, and city officials to work together to inspire kindness in Culver City.

Objective 1: Define what it means to be a city of kindness

• Establish kindness guidelines and principles, utilizing input from staff, community stakeholders, and relevant websites.
• Use the mayor and city council members as a bully pulpit to discuss kindness with community groups and city staff.
• Use media and social media to promote the idea of kindness through articles and publishing acts of kindness.

Objective 2: Implement a kindness strategy within city government

• Conduct regular meetings with department heads and employees.
• Review city policies and procedures for ways to incorporate kindness principles.
• Establish a baseline measurement for kindness within the city organization.

Objective 3: Conduct outreach to schools, organizations, and businesses about kindness

• Identify stakeholders, businesses, schools, and organizations to meet with to promote kindness principles.
• Establish a citizen task force to receive and promote acts of kindness.
• Identify potential funding sources and solicit support and donations.
• Obtain letters of agreement from participating entities.

Objective 4: Become a city of kindness

• Join http://cityofkindness.org/ to officially become a city of kindness.
• Continue to promote, practice, and measure acts of kindness.
• Recognize acts of kindness through regular articles, social media posts, and an annual event.