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Volume 8 Issue 205
Santa Monica Daily Press THE NEW BRUNCH SEE PAGE 8
CRIME
Three cars set ablaze BY KEVIN HERRERA
We have you covered
Council franchises taxi cabs New licensing system seen as a major shift
Editor in Chief
DOWNTOWN Investigators with the police and fire departments are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for three car fires that erupted late Tuesday and early Wednesday. SMFD Capt. Brad Graham said fire fighters from Engine 123 responded to three separate and suspicious vehicle fires over a six hour period in the 1500 block of Stanford Street and the 2900 block of Colorado Avenue. Two of the vehicles were partially damaged while a third was completely burned out. The vehicles were described as being older models with very low re-sale values, leading investigators to believe the fires were an act of vandalism and not insurance fraud. The first fire was reported around 11:20 p.m. Tuesday, the second at 3:30 a.m. and the third at 5 a.m., said SMPD Sgt. Jay Trisler. Investigators with the fire department will be working with detectives to determine the cause of the fires and apprehend any suspects. “We have no leads at this point,” said SMFD senior fire inspector Eric Binder, who his handling the investigation. “It’s not related to the owners. These are all vehicles that didn’t have insurance value. One didn’t even have insurance to cover the vehicle.” Binder said the owners of the cars were “surprised and upset” when they learned of the fires. Car fires are not uncommon, however, to have three in one night is unusual, Binder said. Anyone with information is urged to call the SMPD at (310) 458-8426. kevinh@smdp.com
THE KEEP IT COOL ISSUE
BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com
LINED UP: Taxi cabs line up along Santa Monica Boulevard on Wednesday morning. Cab companies will now have to battle for the right to pick up customers in Santa Monica after the City Council on Tuesday established a more stringent licensing system to relieve a notoriously overcrowded taxi population.
CITY HALL Cab companies will now have to battle for the right to pick up customers in Santa Monica after the City Council on Tuesday established a more stringent licensing system to relieve a notoriously overcrowded taxi population. The new franchise structure, which will officially take effect after the council approves it upon a procedural second reading, creates a competitive bidding process for a cab license, a major shift from the existing open-entry system in which all operators who meet insurance and other basic requirements are allowed to conduct business in the city. The franchise system is expected to cut the number of cabs by more than half. Between one and eight companies will receive a franchise agreement. In order to even qualify for a franchise license, companies must meet a set of criteria, such as have a minimum fleet size of 25 vehicles, operate a centralized dispatching system, and have drivers who are proficient in English. The bidding process will be structured to give weight to companies that are local, use SULEV or other fuel-efficient cars and offer discounts to seniors and persons with mobility problems. The proposal for a franchise structure came after the Task Force on the SEE TAXI PAGE 10
New solar panel ordinance draws concerns from installers BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL — A proposal by city officials to streamline the permit application process to install photovoltaic panels has drawn concerns from solar advocates who believe that a new provision could deter interested prop-
erty owners in the future. The issue in question concerns a subsection in the new ordinance that would require solar energy equipment be installed in a location that is least visible from adjacent streets as long as it does not significantly increase cost and reduce performance. The section excludes single-family homes.
The City Council adopted the ordinance, including the controversial provision, at the meeting on Tuesday, but only after hearing from more than a dozen speakers who asked that the subsection be striken. “We should eliminate barriers to renewable energy, not create new ones,” Alexandra Kravetz, the policy associate for Santa
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Monica-based Global Green USA, said. The ordinance, which will take effect after a second reading at a future meeting, is meant to streamline the permit process for solar panel installation, establishing objective development standards and allowing SEE SOLAR PAGE 9
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