Action Apartments Association, Inc.

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  • 07/21/2022 7:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    The lawsuit filed in April alleges that the landlord -- Ross Vaisburd, Rolana Serebryanaya and related legal entities -- made the requested repairs and remodeled the unit "only after the tenants vacated."

    They then listed the unit "for a much higher rent," according to a press release issued by the City Attorney’s Office on Wednesday.

    Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/July-2022/07_20_2022_Landlord_Settles_Tenant_Harassment_Lawsuit.html

  • 07/21/2022 7:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    According to the settlement that went into effect Monday, "The City Council hereby withdraws and vacates its decision to exclude Councilmember de la Torre from closed sessions or any other participation in the Pico (Neighborhood Association) case.

    Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/July-2022/07_20_2022_De_la_Torre_Free_to_Take_Part_in_Voting_Rights_Lawsuit_Decisions.html

  • 07/19/2022 9:25 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    Armen Melkonians, whose online Residocracy group was a popular forum for slow-growth activists and an organizing platform that helped defeat a major development project, also pulled nominating papers after running in 2016.

    So did Rent Board member Coroline Torosis, who has the strong backing of Mayor Himmelrich and Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR), which faces a crucial test of its power in November.

    Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/July-2022/07_18_2022_Eleven_Council_Candidates_Pull_Papers.html

    AND: https://www.smdp.com/first-batch-of-residents-begin-process-of-running-for-local-office/219575

  • 07/18/2022 9:31 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    Despite hours of heated discussion last week, decisions on a pair of dueling ballot measures to raise taxes on property sales above $8 million were pushed to a July 26 Council meeting due to ongoing confusion and controversy over the specifics of each measure.

    Read More: https://www.smdp.com/council-battles-over-ballot-measures-delays-final-vote/219559

  • 07/18/2022 9:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

     Rent Board Commissioner Naomi Sultan unexpectedly announced her resignation on Thursday, less than four months before she was slated to run for re-election.

    Sultan's announcement came hours after the Board unanimously appointed Erika Lesley, a leader of the Santa Monica Black Agenda, to fill the post vacated by Nicole Phillis two months ago.

    Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/July-2022/07_15_2022_Rent_Board_Member_Resigns.html

  • 07/18/2022 9:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    So, Santa Monica agrees with the State that there is a real-world water shortage issue that impacts all living things and it is most necessary to curtail overuse and waste of water. We probably all agree on that.  

    Development, the Santa Monica Water Emergency, and Cognitive Dissonance

    It always comes back to development…  

    Santa Monica’s planning department, with council blessing, has sent a proposal to the State to show conformance with the RHNA mandates, but instead of showing suitable sites (SSI) for the mandated 8,895 units, they instead stretched that out to some 13,000 units, “to allow for commercial space uses, etc…” all of which results in requiring a re-write of the zoning code to increase heights pretty much throughout the town. 

    Read More: https://smmirror.com/2022/07/sma-r-t-column-were-all-wet-not/

  • 07/15/2022 12:30 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    Despite a stiff lobbying effort by powerful opponents, the City Council on Tuesday voted to amend a property transfer tax proposed by Councilmember Phil Brock and vote on it in two weeks.

    The move incensed Mayor Sue Himmelrich, who had just seen the Council vote to place her own transfer tax measure on high-end properties on the November ballot during the Council's first packed meeting in more than two years.

    Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2022/July-2022/07_14_2022_Council_Amends_Brocks_Rival_Transfer_Tax_Measure.html

  • 07/15/2022 12:27 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    by Peter Borresen

    It is perverse that the Mayor’s measure will deny our democratically elected Councilmembers, and hence the voters, from managing the transfer tax revenue, instead a hand-picked board of 11 cronies will give out monies to whomever they find suitable. It is a most blatant example of taxation without representation, and an invitation to political abuse. The council is absolutely right to be opposed to this loss of control over a huge amount of city tax money.

    Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2022/07_14_2022_LETTERS_How_Is_Mayors_Tax_Measure_Perverse.html

  • 07/15/2022 12:25 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    Last night, the Santa Monica City Council approved the Development Agreement for a mixed-use, LEED Platinum certified project at the northeast corner of Santa Monica Boulevard and Ocean Avenue. The project is designed by world-renowned architect and Santa Monica resident Frank Gehry. 

    Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2022/07/15/ocean-avenue-project-designed-by-architect-frank-gehry-moves-forward-as-council-approves-development-agreement

  • 07/13/2022 1:29 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

    As Reported by Wes Wellman

    A. The City Council voted to place on the ballot for the November 8, 2022, general election amendments to the City Charter, as follows:

    1. For an owner occupancy eviction, require that an owner make a declaration of intent to occupy the unit for at least two consecutive years unless there are extenuating circumstances and require the owner to occupy the unit within 60 days of the tenant moving pursuant to the eviction.
    2. Provide that an election need not be held if the number of qualified candidates does not exceed the number of open Rent Control Board positions.
    3. Give the City Council authority to suspend rent increases in an emergency subject to possible criteria for what constitutes an emergency and with some possible limitations to be further discussed.

    B. Other Council Action/Inaction

    1. Rejected a request by the Rent Control Board to allow Rent Control Board Commissioners to be elected to a maximum of three full terms.
    2. Did not act on a request by the Rent Control Board to establish a rent registry on non-rent-controlled units. (This is likely to reappear in the near future as a Council ordinance)
    3. Directed the City Attorney to return 7/26 with the draft of an amendment to be placed on the November ballot limiting annual rent increases to no more than 3%.
    4. There was no discussion, and no action was taken (yet?), regarding limiting the 6% increase, subject to the $140 cap, approved by the Board effective 9/1/2022.
    5. Directed the City Attorney to return 7/26 with the Draft of a Transfer Tax Measure of $20 per thousand dollars of consideration or value transferred in excess of $8 million subject to certain exemptions and be collected in addition to existing transfer tax rates that apply to the entire transfer amount. This (AKA the “Brock” Measure) would have a 10-year sunset clause. If approved at the 7/26 meeting this would be a competing initiative to the “Mayor’s” transfer tax measure for which 10,000 signatures were recently submitted to the City Clerk. If both measures are put on the ballot, the one which receives the most qualifying votes will become law.

    Read at: https://files.constantcontact.com/588963b0501/339163c9-dfaf-469b-b931-87e1f7a239e3.pdf

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