Culver City won 60% of the vote to trump Koreatown in the finals of Curbed LA's 2008 Curbed Cup. 

The win represents Culver City's growth in the last few years, not just 2008: The city has added numerous new restaurants, shown off some fancy renderings for townhomes, markets, and commercial buildings, and done work on the forthcoming Expo Line.

....

As you continue to redevelop in 2009, don't lose all the grit and edge, Culver City. We don't need another Santa Monica.

Yay us!  Happy new year!

Link: Your Curbed Cup 2008 Winner: Culver City [Curbed LA]

I just got an automated call from the city about the upcoming Community-Wide Emergency Drill.  The drill is done every year on December 7 at 7:00 pm.

There are two components to the drill.  The first is to practice your household's disaster plan.

The second component is to display an "OK" sign outside your home.  In the case of an actual emergency, having the OK sign out lets them know your family is safe and accounted for.  This practice lets the emergency personnel focus on people who actually need help after a disaster.

Download and print out this pdf from Culver City. There are two pages -- the first page is a guide on what to do if disaster strikes.   (Be sure to check out the Red Cross' Family Disaster Plan guidelines (pdf) for more tips on being prepared before disaster strikes.)  The second page just has a giant OK sign you can place in your front window or tape to your front door.

The Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) announced the winners of its 3rd annual "Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County" award on Monday night. 

Santa Clarita won the award for cities with more than 50,000 residents.  Culver City was one of five finalists for the sub-50,000 category, but alas, we were edged out by the City of Vernon.  

Front Page Online is reporting that LA County has approved of the City Council's plan to use a privately run Hawthorne animal shelter for most of the animals picked up in Culver City.  The city uses County animal control services and the normal procedure is to use the County's facility in Carson.

On Saturday (Nov 15), two renderings of a future Veterans' Memorial Park will be shown to the community.  Residents are encouraged to check out the renderings and provide comments.

At last night's meeting, the Culver City Council voted 5-0 to negotiate a contract with the Spca Animal Shelter in Hawthorne. 

CC is currently contracted with LA County for animal control, which means we use the county's animal shelter in Carson.  But that shelter has been widely criticized, and animal rights supporters, including Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger and Councilman Chris Armenta, were strongly in favor of switching to the Hawthorne shelter run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

County officials at the council meeting last night said their supervisors at the county would probably be fine with delivering the majority of CC animals to Hawthorne instead of Carson.  The next step is to get that in writing from the county, then to get the contract with the Hawthorne shelter.

The most interesting part of this story, though, is not the outcome of the animal shelter vote.  It's the process and the politics that led to Monday's vote.

A Culver City police officer shot and killed an unarmed man on California Avenue and Frederick Street in Venice early Sunday morning.  Officers had followed the car, which matched the description of one that had allegedly left a crime scene where someone was assaulted, out of Culver City and were awaiting backup. 

As reported by the LA Times:

A male passenger got out of the car but refused to comply with orders, [Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Derrick] Thompson said. "At some point, he made a movement causing the officer to fear for his life and resulting in an officer-involved shooting," Thompson said.

Thompson said the man reached for his waistband when he was shot.

A gun was found in the car, but it's not clear who it belonged to.  Two other men in the car were taken into custody.  The Sheriff's Department is working with the Culver City Police with their internal investigation.

Slideshow of Election Day around Culver City by David Markland.

For fun, and as a celebration of the vote, here's a slideshow of "I Voted" stickers after the jump. Happy democracy day everyone! Enjoy.

Culver City is one of five finalists in the 50,000 and under category for Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County award.

The LAEDC will announce the Eddy Award winners on November 17, 2008.

Here's what they say about Culver City:

Culver City is dedicated to enhancing its economy and business environment. The City offers several business incentive programs that include permit fee reimbursement, permit streamlining, gap closer loans, and commercial façade rehabilitation loans. Their business resource center offers a one-stop shop for information assistance, guidance, and referral services, and is available online as well. And their outreach team meets with key businesses to discuss their individual business needs, concerns, and issues. Prospective businesses can also view available properties for lease or purchase on the city’s website.

Bill Allen, LAEDC president and CEO, said:

The city council has adopted an ordinance that will help clear the air while eating outside.  Starting October 21, 2008, smoking will be banned from outdoor dining areas within Culver City.

The law (CCMC § 9.11.110.A):

Smoking is prohibited in all Outdoor Dining Areas located on private or public property, including the public right-of-way. Smoking is further prohibited in all non-enclosed areas within five (5) feet of any Outdoor Dining Area, except while actively passing on the way to another destination. Outdoor Bar Patios are exempted from the provisions of this Section, provided the smoke does not enter adjacent areas in which smoking is prohibited by law or by the owner, lessee, or licensee of the adjacent property.