VOL . LVIII NO. 6
FEBRUARY 11, 2022
THE NEWSPAPER OF RECORD FOR BEVERLY HILLS
City Council Considers CCTV Expansion
IN THIS ISSUE
BY EMILY HOLSHOUSER
BEVERLYHILLSCOURIER .COM
Super Bowl Events Taking Place Locally BY BIANCA HEY WARD
City Council Funds Tourism TV Campaign 4
Tatel Beverly Hills Photo courtesy of Tatel
Beverly Hills' CCTV system, known as Milestone Photo by Samuel Braslow The Beverly Hills City Council took up the topic of the city’s extensive CCTV (closed-circuit television) camera system during its Feb. 8 Regular Session. The agenda item put forth by Vice Mayor Lili Bosse was directed at the expansion of coverage into residential alleyways. The discussion included a presentation
Drought, Trees, and Public Banks Discussed at Study Session 4
by Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD) Chief Mark Stainbrook. Although no official vote was taken, the Council acknowledged the important role the cameras play in overall public safety. (CCTV Expansion continues on page 8)
In celebration of Super Bowl LVI, a variety of star-studded parties, concerts, and culinary experiences are planned throughout Los Angeles around the big game. With the Cincinnati Bengals facing off against the LA Rams Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, hotels in Beverly Hills are sold out and gearing up to host crowds of tourists. (Super Bowl LVI continues on page 11)
Private Security Contracts in Beverly Parents Voice Hills Extended to Summer 2023 Frustrations Over COVID-19 Restrictions at BHUSD Meeting BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW
Courier Calendar 2 News 4 Community 6 Birthdays 1 6 Fun & Games 1 8 Classifieds 2 1
THE WEATHER, BEVERLY HILLS
Friday
82° | 55°
Saturday
83° | 56°
Sunday
81° | 55°
Monday
75° | 53°
Tuesday
64° | 47°
Wednesday
69° | 49°
Thursday
69° | 49°
At its Feb. 8 Regular Meeting, the Beverly Hills City Council voted for the largest extension of private armed security since the city began contracting with security firms in 2020. The Council also approved a bike lane for San Vicente Boulevard and passed an ordinance enabling construction of a new robotic parking facility for an office building in the Business Triangle. Lastly, the Council addressed irregularities in energy billing for some residents in January. Beverly Hills first contracted with the security firms Covered 6 and Nastec International in October of 2020 in anticipation of unrest around the Nov. 3 general election. The total for both contracts came out to around $1.4 million. For this latest contract extension (the fourth thus far), the city justified the ongoing need for private security by pointing to the frequent animal rights protests in the
Business Triangle, smash-and-grab burglaries in Southern California, a rise in violent crime, and anti-masking protests. The amended contracts push the departure date for Covered 6 and Nastec until June 30, 2023. The city also added a provision requirement that Covered 6 and Nastec employees working in Beverly Hills receive the COVID-19 vaccine and undergo regular testing. The total of the two contracts represents the largest sum allotted to private security by the city at any one time: $817,041 for Nastec and $1,719,180 for Covered 6. This brings the total spent on private security by the city since 2020 to over $7.3 million. Beverly Hills Chief of Police Mark Stainbook gave the Council a thorough public accounting of the city’s year and a half-long relationship with private armed security. (Private Security continues on page 13)
BY SAMUEL BR ASLOW AND BIANCA HEY WARD
The Beverly Hills Unified School District (BHUSD) Board of Education reexamined the district's COVID-19 mitigation strategy at its Feb. 8 meeting. The district has logged a fast decline in cases from its peak following winter break. At the same time, frustration with rules regarding masking, testing, and quarantining has grown among parents and students, with an increasingly vocal group of parents speaking out to the board. (COVID-19 continues on page 9)
C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O T H E L A R A M S F O R R E A C H I N G T H E S U P E R B OW L SINCE 1965
