Shortly before 1 a.m., Santa Monica City Council member Bob Holbrook said he was planning to leave at 1, because he had to go to work in the morning.
The Council meeting had begun at 7 p.m., Tuesday night. The principal item on the agenda was the massive fiscal year 1999-00 budget. Nearly 80 members of the public spoke on a wide range of items.
Two school board members and many parents asked the Council to allocate additional funds to the financially beset Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. Though fluoridation of city water was not on the agenda, a number of dentists, including some from other parts of the state, urged the Council to order it. Older residents and young people asked that the Council fund assistance programs for their respective age groups. People from all over Santa Monica proposed that the City allocate 3% of its budget annually for the purchase of parkland.
