School Bond Stays on Burglary suspect leads police on A Fine • • • cityNovember Ballot Page 3 briefswild chase through homes and yards Page 4 rudyHistorical Messcole Page 6 ALSO ON THE WEB Beverly Hills www.bhweekly.com WeeklySERVING BEVERLY HILLS • BEVERLYWOOD • LOS ANGELES Issue 462 • August 7 - August 13, 2008 ConstructingConstructing BeverlyBeverly HillsHills The Weekly gets the scoop from Building and Safety Division head George Chavez cover story • page 9 Board Approves Most A 5.4 Earthquake Audit Gives • • • cityExpensive School Bond Ever Page 3 briefsShakes Beverly Hills Page 4 rudyChamber Goodcole Marks Page 6 information/specificity about the remain- Property taxes related to a bond meas- ALSO ON THE WEB Beverly Hills www.bhweekly.com ing $234 million!!! ure: In the 2000 election, Prop 39 was Are State funds available? Prop 39: passed by the electorate. Related legisla- School Facilities Kindergarten Through tion set the allowable property “tax rate WeeklySERVING BEVERLY HILLS • BEVERLYWOOD • LOS ANGELES letters Issue 461 • July 31 - August 6, 2008 Twelfth Grade (K-12). ... “Over the levied as the result of any single election years, the state has provided a significant be no more than $60” per $100,000 for portion of the funding for these facilities assessed evaluation. It remains unclear email through the state schools facilities pro- how extending the $49.87 tax rate (men- gram. ....” tioned in the Weekly) could be used to & Under this program, the state generally pay for the $334 mil bond proposal when “Board Approves Most Expensive pays: “50 percent of the cost of new Measure K was a “single” election. The School Bond Ever” [Issue 461] school facilities….80 percent of the cost present $334 mil. bond request would Local Businesses Say Major issues and concerns regarding of modernizing existing facilities.” necessarily be a new “single” election. Chamber Audit Results the rush to place a new $334 million bond Prop 39 allows, but does not require, a Fees: Will the school district please Are Overdue before the voters: As referred to in the board of education to set the 55 percent explain why we need to spend $millions$ Results recommend more focus on day visitors to city Weekly: In the 2000 election, Prop 39 threshold as long as two-thirds of the on fees. board approves. Otherwise, two-thirds The statement by Dr. Demeter that cover story • page 9 was passed by the electorate. (http://vote2000.sos.ca.gov/VoterGuide/t (66.7 percent) of the voters are required to letters cont. on next page WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? ext/text_analysis_39.htm) pass a bond. Goldberg got it right about “the rushed “…best play Simon ever wrote” N.Y. Post You can write us at: process.” LOST IN YONKERS 140 South Beverly Drive #201 Why are “critical seismic ...upgrades” By Neil Simon Pulitzer,Drama Desk,Tony Awards Beverly Hills, CA 90212 targeting 6.0 to 7.0 earthquakes when So. Director HOWARD TEICHMAN Cal. is due for the “big one”? You can fax us at: Plays in repertory with Lack of public input: Why didn’t ( The West Coast Premiere 310.887.0789 doesn’t) the district publish the survey of seismic upgrades and repairs needed and PEN email us at: A psychological drama general facilities issues prior to submit- [email protected] By David Marshall Grant ting the bond issue? Prop 39 says, in Director JEFF G. RACK part, ”A specific list of school projects to be funded...” Mon-Sat 8PM; Sat,Sun 2 PM The bond request is for $334 million, call for schedule and reservations but the seismic portion is listed as $100 241 S. Moreno Dr. million. This is hard to believe by itself Beverly Hills CA 90212-3639 as all of the schools were inspected after the 1994 earthquake. What is more trou- Res: 310-364-0535 SNAPSHOT www.theatre40.org bling is the total lack of Theatre 40 WeeklyBeverly Hills Issue 462 • August 7 - August 13, 2008 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. Founded: October 7, 1999 Published Thursdays Delivered in Beverly HilIs, Beverlywood, Los Angeles ISSN#1528-851X www.bhweekly.com 1 year Publisher & CEO subscriptions Josh E. Gross are available. Reporter Jacquelyn Ryan Sent via US Mail $75 payable in Sports Editor advance Steven Herbert Contributing Editor Rudy Cole Adjudicated as a General Manager newspaper of general Rebecca Rihani circulation for the County of Los Angeles. Case # Advertising Representatives BS065841 of the Los Natasha Hakimian Angeles Superior Court, Patricia Massachi Farnoush Farahi on November 30, 2000. Legal Advertising Michael Saghian 140 South Beverly Drive #201 Beverly Hills, CA 90212 310.887.0788 phone 310.887.0789 fax MAN OF THE YEAR CNPA Member [email protected] All staff can be reached at: QUEEN MARY, LONG BEACH first name @bhweekly.com Board of Education member Steven Fenton was presented with the Democratic Man of the Year award from the California Democratic Party Unsolicited materials will not be returned. on Sunday night at the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Democrat of the Year awards ceremony on Queen Mary in Long Beach. Fenton won for ©2008 Beverly Hills Weekly Inc. the 42nd Assembly District, which includes Beverly Hills. In this photo: (LR): Frank Fenton, Steven Fenton and Brian Goldberg. Page 2 • Beverly Hills Weekly been paid off, according to Karen “pockets of opposition.” Christiansen, owner of the district’s contract- It will cost the district approximately ed project management firm Strategic $45,000 to put the bond on the November city schools Concepts. If the new bond is approved, the ballot, with the possibility that it may cost at & tax would last until around the year 2060. least three times more than that at the end of The special meeting was held after a pri- the election, according to a George K. Baum School Bond Stays on vate bond consulting group, George K. representative. For the March ballot, it Baum, concluded that a bond could go on the would have cost the district $188,000. Those March ballot as a Prop 39 measure, which funds will be taken from the bond if it pass- November Ballot would allow the bond to pass with 55 percent es, or from the general fund if the bond does of the public voters in favor. The Board had not pass. The 3-2 vote falls short to move bond to March approved the bond for November as a safety The General Obligation Bond is slated to By Jacquelyn Ryan measure at the last meeting in case the bond address safety and seismic issues that dis- could not be a Prop 39 measure in March. trict-contracted architects and structural engi- George K. Baum’s information indicated neers have identified over the last few years. The Beverly Hills because each wanted more time to prepare that there would be an 80 percent voter Mandated building codes and standards have Board of Education for the bond election. turnout for the November election, with a changed since the last retrofitting requiring will not be moving the Board President Myra Demeter and Board majority of those voters having a liberal bias repairs to all five school sites, according to proposed $334 million member Myra Lurie opposed the resolution and support for the bond. The information for Christiansen. school bond from the based on a poll that indicated that 60 percent the March election showed a significantly “All districts are faced with consistently November election would support approval in November and reduced overall voter turn-out with at least 50 chasing a moving target,” said David Huff, ballot to the March because Demeter did not believe the safety percent of those voters being over the age 65, the district’s attorney for the bond issue, who 2009 election ballot, and security repairs funded by the bond could a group that tends to vote against bonds said that codes tend to change every three to after a 3-2 vote at a be postponed. Myra Lurie according to George K. Baum rep. four years. special meeting on Superintendent Kari McVeigh was not “We’re all on the same page about the need Demeter and Lurie both raised concerns Wednesday morning. present for the meeting. Assistant superin- for a bond. We are 5-0 on that. But as a polit- about what they felt was the urgent nature of At least two-thirds of tendent Cheryl Plotkin presided over the ical scientist, I have to say that if there’s an seeing this bond go to the ballot. the Board (a minimum meeting. Plotkin’s daughter Christine works 80 percent turnout at [the November] elec- “I have confidence in this team and the 4-1 vote) needed to for the district’s contracted project manage- tion, I will eat my hat on stage,” said board… I’m an advocate for curriculum but vote favorably to pass ment group Strategic Concepts, whose con- Goldberg, who says he feels like the Board is one can not talk about curriculum until all our the proposed resolu- tract with the district was extended to include being ‘pushed into a corner’ by the rushed students and teachers are sitting in safe build- tion to move to March work for the proposed bond by a 3-1-1 vote nature of this bond and lack of alternate opin- ings,” said Demeter. “The community will the bond measure that at the meeting. Fenton abstained; Goldberg ions or input. “I think we’ll pass it in whole-heartedly support a bond issue.” the Board approved voted no. November or March but I think we have a Goldberg, however, contested that the for November’s ballot The $334 million General Obligation Bond Myra Demeter better shot at doing it right in March.” notion that the school site buildings were not last week.