Briefs • Spagnoli Resigns Amid Briefs • City Assesses Its Response Briefs • Oil Well Capping Costs Discrimination Lawsuits Page 3 to COVID-19 Page 3 Increase Page 3
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briefs • Spagnoli Resigns Amid briefs • City Assesses its Response briefs • Oil Well Capping Costs Discrimination Lawsuits Page 3 to COVID-19 Page 3 Increase Page 3 Issue 1074 • April 30 - May 6, 2020 Man Of Choosing the Tomorrow Right College Author Jim Newton Beverly High Counselor Discusses His New Book Casey Rowley on University on Jerry Brown Admissions During the Pandemic cover stories • pages 6-8 Face Coverings in Beverly Hills All persons shall wear face coverings when they leave their home or place of residence for essential activities, such as taking a walk through their neighborhood, if there is a potential to come within six feet of someone who is not a member of their household. #BHHealthyCity SNAPSHOT WeBeverlye Hills kly Issue 1074 • April 30 - May 6, 2020 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. Founded: October 7, 1999 Published Thursdays Delivered in Beverly HilIs, Beverlywood, Los Angeles ISSN#1528-851X www.bhweekly.com Publisher & CEO 1 year Josh E. Gross subscriptions are Reporter available. Ani Gasparyan Sent via US Mail Sports Editor $75 payable Steven Herbert in advance Contributing Editor Rudy Cole (1925-2013) Adjudicated as a newspaper of general Advertising Representatives circulation for the County Allison Abrishami of Los Angeles. Case # BS065841 of the Los Legal Advertising Mike Saghian Angeles Superior Court, on Eiman Matian November 30, 2000. 140 South Beverly Drive #201 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310.887.0788 phone 310.887.0789 fax CNPA Member [email protected] All staff can be reached at: first name @bhweekly.com Unsolicited materials will not be returned. ©2020 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. A SALUTE TO HEALTHCARE WORKERS GRACIE ALLEN DRIVE The Beverly Hills Police and Fire Departments joined other local first-responders last OUR DATA SPEAKS Wednesday at Cedars-Sinai to honor healthcare workers in what was called a VOLUMES “Cedars-Sinai Salute.” Page 2 • Beverly Hills Weekly that could have influenced the decision for community. also created a moratorium on any increases her early retirement. In it, Sergeant Scott Police patrolling throughout the city will in rent or fees for internet access during the Dibble alleges he was wrongfully placed be increased and a temporary 30-day per- pandemic. on work leave in retaliation to a previous mit will be issued for residents to park in “I think the community has really re- lawsuit he had settled in 2019. The set- preferential or time-restricted areas, so that sponded to this in a cohesive way and ... on tled lawsuit they don’t have to move their cars as often. the other side of this I think we’ll be much claimed Spag- The city’s nurse practitioner program will better off as a community than we were be- noli had sent begin monitoring patients for COVID-19 fore and we were already good then,” Gold him sexually at their homes starting April 26. People said. inappropriate must demonstrate symptoms in order to be text messages tested. Oil Well Capping Costs and denied him “Although there’s a lot of conversation Increase a promotion for about the greater availability for testing, The cost of capping oil wells beneath not reciprocat- the county has still left the guidelines for Beverly High’s campus has increased to ing her advanc- testing as they were before which requires $32 million. es. the demonstration of symptoms,” Coun- The BHUSD Board of Education ap- Vera Mar- cilmember Julian Gold said. “Without one proved an amendment Tuesday that in- Sandra Spagnoli kowitz, who of those [symptoms] even if you are in a creased the cost of capping oil wells be- spearheaded vulnerable population, you cannot get test- neath Beverly Hills. the “BHPD Crisis Group” that advocated ed.” Oil well capping costs have increased WHAT’S ON for the resignation or firing of the now-re- The Public Works department added several times since it first began in 2017. tiring Chief, said she had been hopeful 150 customer loading meters which allow There has been an ongoing dispute be- YOUR MIND? Spagnoli would leave for four years. 5-minute parking periods for residents to tween the City of Beverly Hills and the “I think the last lawsuit is what precipi- use when picking up food, medicine and board over who will pay the costs. You can write us at: tated her demise and her deciding to leave,” more. It also installed signage at several The contractor fulfilling the project is 140 South Beverly Drive Markowitz said. intersections that inform pedestrians they ARB Incorporated. #201 Markowitz’s activism against the chief don’t need to press a push-button to cross Coronavirus Update: Week Beverly Hills, CA 90212 has garnered controversy from Spagnoli’s the street. Seven supporters in the past, including from the Priority The City of Beverly Hills entered its sev- You can fax us at: City Council. construction enth week of quarantine and 105 residents 310.887.0789 She received a subpoena from the city in projects will have been confirmed with COVID-19 as of 2019 asking her to release all her records continue, in- Tuesday. email us at: from the prior seven years to be seen in cluding the According to the Los Angeles County [email protected] relation to a lawsuit against Spagnoli. She Metro Purple Public Health Department, there are 20,976 Newton Cover Photo: said she addressed the cases, but the sub- Line project, confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,000 Steve Stroud poena was so broad the judge threw it out the sewer lin- coronavirus-related deaths as of Tuesday in and fined the city for subpoenaing. ing and the LA county. West Hollywood has 134 cases, City Manager George Chavez will be Water Well Brentwood has 64 cases and Culver City announcing an interim police chief in the Project. has 58 cases. coming weeks, as the city begins the pro- George Chavez The council The City Council met for a special meet- briefs cess of looking for Spagnoli’s replacement. also updated ing Tuesday, in which they approved fol- Markowitz said she hopes someone from the face mask ordinance, which was first is- lowing state and county guidelines to no within the Beverly Hills community is sued by Chavez earlier this month, in order Spagnoli Resigns Amid longer prohibit elective procedures at hos- hired for the position. to ensure Beverly Hills residents remain pitals and medical care facilities. The coun- Discrimination Lawsuits “I think that part of the problem was compliant with the order. cil also discussed how to organize the Busi- Beverly Hills Police Chief Sandra Spag- that she really did not know neither the There is now a fine for being in public ness Taskforce, a new committee made up noli will retire from the department effec- department nor the community when she without a mask – $100 for the first offense, of local business-owners designed to help tive May 15, after a multitude of lawsuits arrived,” Markowitz said. $200 for the second offense and $500 for businesses struggling due to COVID-19. against her that have cost the City of Bev- Chavez said crime was reduced while the the third offense. The BHUSD Board of Education also erly Hills over department increased diversity, public out- People with breathing problems are not met Tuesday to discuss an increase in oil $7 million in reach, best practices and advancements in required to wear masks. The city will also well capping costs, the addition of new settlement and technology under Spagnoli’s tenure. provide masks to residents who inquire for gym lockers and more. Summer school legal fees. “We thank Chief Spagnoli for her ser- them. is expected to now be online and Bever- The city has vice to our community and her three de- The eviction moratorium, which was ly Hills Education Foundation's Summer faced an array cades of public service in law enforce- passed on March 16, was also discussed Academy has begun accepting enrollment of discrimina- ment,” he said. but no changes were made to the ordi- for some of its summer classes. tion lawsuits nance. The council tabled the discussion to City Manager George Chavez announced against Spag- City Assesses its Response to a later date, in order to receive more legal the retirement of Beverly Hills Chief San- noli since she COVID-19 information. dra Spagnoli effective May 15 on Saturday. was first hired The City Council updated some of the The Kindness Task-Force has been ac- The decision comes on the heels of a recent in 2016, in- city’s emergency COVID-19 ordinances tive throughout the pandemic, fulfilling lawsuit filed against Spagnoli in March, cluding allega- and discussed its response to the pandemic Vera Markowitz tasks such as buying groceries, checking-in which had several allegations including tions of denied last Tuesday. on lonely seniors, walking at-risk people’s workplace retaliation. The lawsuit is one of promotions, sexual harassment and work- City Manager George Chavez said when dogs and more. It now has about 250 vol- four ongoing lawsuits. place retaliation. It has denied the lawsuits’ cities lift the stay-at-home order is depen- unteers and actively aids 15 to 20 seniors in The Beverly Hills Rotary Club partnered claims and paid at least $7.8 million in re- dent on if less people are being infected by the community. with Laura Margo for her organization lation to the cases. COVID-19. He said the initial projections The Spring Art Show is canceled in May, Meal to Heal, which is a program that al- Several law enforcement officers said had been May 15, though that’s subject to but will now be featured online.