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Ken Genser
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 5:15 AM
1. Are you familiar with the 1984 “Santa Monica Airport Agreement”?
Yes, I have read it many times over the years.
2. Do you know who the parties are who
signed it?
Yes, the City and the FAA.
3. Do you
know that air quality isn’t mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
Yes.
4.
Would you support a Santa Monica request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
Yes,
but it is unrealistic to think that the FAA would respond positively to such an request. The FAA fights most of the
city’s efforts — enacted for legitimate reasons — that could also make the airport a better neighbor. For
example, the FAA is or has opposed increased fines for noise violations, weight-based landing fees, and shortening the runway
to create buffers in compliance with the FAA’s own safety standards. So, to be successful, any attempt to reopen
the 1984 agreement must include a carefully thought out strategy.
5. Do you feel that the
City of Santa Monica as owners of the Santa Monica Airport have a responsibility to take a pro-active stance in looking into the potential negative health effects
that are a direct result of airport operations?
Yes.
6. Because
the Santa Monica Airport borders Los Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that
the City of Santa Monica shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential
communities from negative health impacts due to airport operations?
Yes,
to the maximum extent possible under existing laws and regulations that control our operation of the airport.
7.
Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose would be to deal with the airport’s impacts
on surrounding communities?
I’m open to considering it. However, I believe we have
an Airport Commission that is capable of this function, and is comprised of members who care about the surrounding residents.
Also, the last time such an ad hoc committee was formed, the effort was weakened due to alleged conflicts between some
residents of Los Angeles.
8. Would
you be in favor of the Santa Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully ascertain how the
Santa Monica Airport impacts its neighboring communities?
Possibly, but this
is the function of the Airport Commission. I think such a meeting would be more effective if conducted by the Commission
who can forward any recommendations to the Council. The Commission would have the time — and knowledge —
to look at issues in depth.
9. Knowing that the surrounding communities (both Santa Monica and
Los Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa Monica Airport operations; would you work to put the issues that are
being focused on, here tonight, as a high priority item during your term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
I would continue to do so. Please remember that the 1984 Agreement — entered into
before I, or any of the current council members were elected — severely limits our options. Any effort to reopen
the Agreement or work around its limitations must be through carefully thought out strategy.
Additional comments that you have to offer:
Kathryn Morea
Sent: Friday, October 01, 2004 3:01 PM
1. Are you
familiar with the 1984 "Santa Monica Airport
Agreement"?
Yes.
2. Do you know who are
the parties who signed it?
City Manager & City Attorney, as well as FAA.
3. Do you know that air
quality isn’t mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
It appears that noise, not air quality, was a primary concern.
4. Would you support
a Santa Monica request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
Yes.
5. Do you feel that the
City of Santa Monica as owners of the Santa Monica Airport have a responsibility
to take a pro-active stance in looking into the potential negative health effects that are a direct
result of airport operations?
Yes.
6. Because the Santa
Monica Airport borders Los Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa
Monica shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential communities from negative health
impacts due to airport
operations?
Yes.
7. Would you support
an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose would be to deal with the airport’s impacts on surrounding communities?
Yes.
8. Would you be in favor
of the Santa Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to
fully ascertain how the Santa Monica Airport
impacts its neighboring communities?
Yes.
9. Knowing that the surrounding
communities (both Santa Monica and Los Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa
Monica Airport operations; would you work to put the issues that are being focused on, here tonight,
as a high priority item during your term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
Yes. It seems to me that the current city council is more concerned with special interests and pet projects than doing
anything proactively to protect our own residents.
Comment:
I'd also like to add that one of my comments made during the candidate forum was misunderstood, and perhaps taken out
of context. I had mentioned that "nothing takes place between elections" because my impression is that our city leaders do
nothing (or next to nothing) to truly address the issues surrounding the airport. This was a criticism of our leaders - not
the residents themselves. It's clear to me that residents are involved in all sorts of activity and have worked hard trying
involve city leaders to help them get relief. Unfortunately, our current city council members appear perfectly willing to
wait until 2015 to even begin to address the concerns of those residents impacted by the airport.
Kathryn Morea
Robert Shriver
Sent:
Friday,
October 01, 2004 10:06 PM
1. Are you familiar with the 1984 “Santa
Monica Airport Agreement”?
Yes, I have read it. It seems to represent
a great deal of thought, except perhaps for this sentence in section 5: “This Airport Layout Plan may be referred to
herein as the ‘Airport Layout Plan.’”
2. Do you know who the parties are who signed it?
The Santa Monica City Manager, the Santa Monica City Attorney, and two Federal Aviation
Administration officials.
3. Do you know air quality isn’t mentioned in the 1984
agreement?
Yes.
4. Would you support a Santa Monica
request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
Yes. The agreement itself says three
times (in sections 1, 7, and 29) that it may be modified to address “issues arising in the future.” Interesting
choice of words, since what now needs to be addressed is the exhaust issued by jet planes. Eight years ago jet takeoffs
and landings averaged about 480 a month. Today we have1,500 a month. At this rate, by 2015, there will be 3,000 a month. We
can’t allow the jet fumes spewing out on Santa Monica and West Los Angeles to double in the next 11 years.
5. Do you feel that the City of Santa
Monica as owner of the Santa Monica
Airport has a responsibility to take a pro-active
stance in looking into the potential negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations?
Yes.
6. Because the Santa Monica Airport
borders Los Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa Monica
shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential communities from negative health impacts due to airport operations?
Any city that operates a facility
potentially harming people’s health is morally and ethically responsible—regardless of geographical boundaries—to
investigate the extent of the damage and mitigate it if necessary. Because the airport is part of the federal transportation
system, the City should call for the FAA to ask the Environmental Protection Agency to measure the pollution in the air around
the airport and determine any danger to people’s health. (Special attention should go to the air quality in the area
on airport land where soccer fields are proposed. I’m told these are to be the smaller fields for younger players, whose
lungs are even more vulnerable to pollutants.) The EPA can then report its findings to the FAA and recommend steps it needs
to mandate to reduce the pollution.
7. Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose
would be to deal with the airport’s impacts on surrounding communities?
I would favor a
committee that included both Santa Monica and Los Angeles residents.
8. Would you be in favor of the Santa
Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully ascertain how the Santa
Monica Airport impacts its
neighboring communities?
Yes. In addition to residents’
testimony, the EPA’s findings about the pollution levels and health risks could be presented. City officials could report
on the progress (if any) of the Aircraft Conformance Program, which the Council adopted in 2002.This plan was supposed to
prevent the larger jets from using Santa
Monica Airport. Two years later, 50% of the jets using our airport are the ones that pollute the most and were deemed
too large to take off and land safely. Plans to create safety zones at each end of the runway haven’t been implemented,
even though people’s homes lie within 300 feet of the runway. (Firefighters shudder at the thought of a fully fueled
large jet crashing on takeoff.) Apparently, the City’s safety, noise, and pollution plan has not yet taken off. At the
September 2004 Airport Commission meeting, City staff reported it has just finished addressing issues about the large jets
that the FAA requested be addressed one year ago. Whether this represents true progress or just more talk (exhaust)
remains to be seen.
Santa Monica’s Airport Commissioners,
our local Congressman, and the Los Angeles City Councilmember for this area should also be included in this meeting.
9. Knowing that the surrounding communities (both Santa Monica
and Los Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa Monica
Airport operations, would you work to put the issues that are being focused on as a high priority
item during your term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
The airport’s effects would
be a high priority for me, because people’s health and safety are involved.
Additional
comments:
For the short term, we need to make
Santa Monica Airport less of a noise and air polluter now. For the long term, the Santa Monica City Council must begin a
dialogue with residents about what should happen at the airport after July 2015. If another agreement between the city and
the FAA is not adopted, the city could lose its right to control noise or exhaust fumes (if such a provision were to be added
to the present agreement). Some city officials seem to believe that we can just live with the airport and close it in 2015,
but many federal laws could make that impossible. To protect residents, the City needs to get as much control over the airport
as it can.
Maria Loya
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 11:17 PM
1.
Are you familiar with the 1984 “Santa
Monica Airport Agreement”?
Yes. The purpose of the agreement was to address the disputes involving the impacts
of the SM Airport on the surrounding communities.
2.
Do you know who the parties are who signed it?
Yes.
The City Manager, John H. Alschuler, Jr. and the City Attorney, Robert M. Myers signed the agreement.
3. Do you know that air quality isn’t
mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
Yes,
there is no reference to air quality in the entire document.
4. Would you support a Santa Monica
request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
Yes,
I would support an official request from our City to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement.
5. Do you feel that the City of Santa Monica as owners of the
Santa Monica Airport have a responsibility to take a pro-active stance in looking
into the potential negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations?
Yes,
I think the City of Santa
Monica needs to be responsive
to the health impacts and needs of residents living in close proximity to the Santa Monica Airport. If elected I will advocate for a health survey to be conducted
targeting residents living in near the SM Airport.
6. Because the Santa Monica
Airport borders Los
Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa
Monica shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential communities from negative health
impacts due to airport operations?
Yes.
I believe that we must work with the City of Los Angeles to develop ways to address the impact of the Santa Monica Airport in a collaborative manner and develop a proactive approach
to safeguard the residential communities.
7.Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose would be
to deal with the airport’s impacts on surrounding communities?
Yes.
8. Would you be in favor of the Santa Monica
City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully ascertain how the Santa
Monica Airport impacts its
neighboring communities?
Yes.
9.Knowing that the surrounding communities (both Santa Monica and Los
Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa Monica Airport
operations; would you work to put the issues that are being focused on, here tonight, as a high priority item during your
term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
Yes.
I believe that it is our responsibility as City leaders to protect the well being of our residents. If I am elected to the
City Council I will work to address the issues that residents face living near the SM Airport and develop advocacy tools that
we can use to influence the FAA, such as a health study.
Richard Bloom
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 5:09 PM
1.
Are you familiar with the 1984 “Santa Monica
Airport Agreement”?
Yes.
2. Do you know who the parties are who signed it?
I
believe the parties are the City of Santa Monica and the F.A.A.
3. Do you
know that air quality isn’t mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
Yes. I have heard this.
4. Would you support a Santa
Monica request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
I support any step that would lead
to reduction in the number of jet take offs and landings at Santa Monica Airport.
5. Do you feel that the City of Santa Monica as owners
of the Santa Monica Airport have a responsibility to take a pro-active stance
in looking into the potential negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations?
Yes.
6. Because the Santa Monica Airport
borders Los Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa Monica
shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential communities from negative health impacts due to airport operations?
Santa Monica understands that we are part of a region and that we all need to be good neighbors.
7. Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole
purpose would be to deal with the airport’s impacts on surrounding communities?
I
support ongoing discussions regarding airport issues, including concerns of airport neighbors in Santa Monica and Los Angeles.
8. Would you be in favor of the Santa
Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully ascertain how the Santa
Monica Airport impacts its
neighboring communities?
I support ongoing discussions regarding
airport issues, including concerns of airport neighbors in Santa
Monica and Los Angeles.
9. Knowing that the surrounding communities (both Santa
Monica and Los Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa
Monica Airport operations; would you work to put the issues that are being focused on, here tonight,
as a high priority item during your term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
I have done
so during my current term and will do so in the future.
Additional
comments that you have to offer:
I will continue to champion the goal
of reducing and eliminating jet traffic at Santa
Monica Airport.
David Cole
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2004 6:51 PM
1. Are you familiar with the 1984 “Santa
Monica Airport Agreement”?
YES
2. Do you know who the parties are who signed it?
YES
3. Do
you know that air quality isn’t mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
YES
4. Would you support a Santa
Monica request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
YES
5. Do you feel that the City of Santa Monica as owners of the Santa Monica Airport have a responsibility to take a pro-active stance
in looking into the potential negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations?
YES
6. Because
the Santa Monica Airport borders Los Angeles to
the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa Monica shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential communities from negative health impacts due to airport
operations?
WITHOUT QUESTION
7. Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose would be
to deal with the airport’s impacts on surrounding communities?
NO I BELEIVE THE CITY COUNCIL
SHOULD DEAL WITH THE ISSUE IN AN OPEN FORUM WITH THE PUBLIC. THIS MEETING WOULD BE ONE OF IMFORMATION GATHERING PURPOSE WITH
NO ACTIONABLE ITEM ON THE AGENDA. SO THE ENTIRE SESSION COULD BE WITHOUT RULES AND DESIGNED TO INFORM THE COUNCIL WHICH THEN
COULD AGENDIZE THE ISSUE AND CONSIDER AN APPROPRIATE ACTION.
8. Would you be in favor of the Santa
Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully ascertain how the Santa
Monica Airport impacts its neighboring communities?
YES
9. Knowing that the surrounding
communities (both Santa Monica and Los Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa Monica Airport operations; would you work to put the issues that
are being focused on, here tonight, as a high priority item during your term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
YES, HOWEVER THERE EXIST MANY ISSUES THAT THIS CITY MUST DEAL WITH ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS.
Herb Katz
Sent:
Thursday, October 07, 2004 10:32 AM
1. Are you familiar with the 1984 "Santa Monica Airport
Agreement"?
Yes (have not read it lately)
2. Do you know who
the parties are who signed it?
City of Santa Monica, and
I believe the FAA
3. Do you know that air quality
isn't mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
Yes
4. Would you support
a Santa Monica request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
Yes
5. Do you
feel that the City of Santa Monica as owners of the Santa Monica
Airport have a responsibility to take a pro-active
stance in looking into the potential negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations?
Yes
6. Because
the Santa Monica Airport borders Los Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa Monica shoulders a responsibility to safeguard these residential communities from negative health impacts due to airport
operations?
Both cities have responsibility, as the users
come from both.
7.
Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose would be to deal with the airport's impacts on surrounding
communities?
It would depend on who was on the committee
and how it was formed.
8.
Would you be in favor of the Santa
Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully
ascertain how the Santa Monica Airport impacts its neighboring communities?
Yes
9. Knowing that the surrounding communities (both Santa Monica and Los Angeles) are deeply
concerned about the potential negative health effects from Santa Monica Airport operations; would
you work to put the issues that are being focused on, here tonight, as a high priority item during your term as a Santa Monica
City Councilperson?
Yes
Additional comments that you have to offer:
The airport needs to be a healthy, sound, sensitive
neighbor and must co-exist properly.
Linda Armstrong
October 10th, 2004 2pm
1. Are you familiar with the 1984 "Santa Monica Airport Agreement"?
Yes, this is the agreement
that allowed jets into the airport.
2. Do you know who the parties are who signed it?
No
3. Do you know that air quality isn't mentioned in the 1984 Agreement?
Yes
4. Would you support a Santa Monica request to the FAA to review the 1984 agreement?
Yes,
definitely.
5. Do you feel that the City of
Santa Monica as owners of the Santa Monica Airport have a responsibility to take a pro-active stance in looking into the potential
negative health effects that are a direct result of airport operations?
Yes, that is their duty and obligation.
6. Because
the Santa Monica Airport borders Los Angeles to the east and to the south, do you believe that the City of Santa Monica shoulders a responsibility
to safeguard these residential communities from negative health impacts due to airport operations?
Yes, since the airport
abuts the city of LA, the health and welfare of the neighbors should be taken into consideration.
7. Would you support an ad hoc committee whose sole purpose
would be to deal with the airport's impacts on surrounding communities?
Yes definitely
8. Would you be in favor of the Santa Monica City Council holding a Town Hall Meeting to fully ascertain how the Santa Monica Airport impacts its neighboring communities?
Yes, and there should be a series of them, with the first one being held before the election.
9. Knowing that
the surrounding communities (both Santa Monica and Los Angeles) are deeply concerned about the potential negative health effects
from Santa Monica Airport operations; would you work to put the issues that are being focused on,
here tonight, as a high priority item during your term as a Santa Monica City Councilperson?
Yes, definitely. I would also push for the Town Hall meetings to be held.
Additional comments that you have to offer:
There should be a moratorium on jet traffic until their long term studies are finished.
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