ACTION Apartment Association

Police Reform Commission Fails to Approve Report

10/18/2021 8:10 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The draft report regarding the OIR Group's findings concerning the Police Department's response to the the May 31, 2020 protests, which included unchecked rioting and looting, was approved on a 5-4 vote, falling one vote short of the threshold needed.

Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission (PSROC) Chair George Brown on Friday morning informed the Council that the commission was "unable to meet its obligations."

Council Authorizes $700,000 Contract for Inspector General

10/18/2021 8:09 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council on Tuesday voted to authorize a five-year $700,000 contract with the OIR Group to serve as Inspector General for the newly formed police oversight commission.

The consulting firm -- which produced a report on the Police Department's response to the May 31, 2019 riots -- will provide the Commission with information needed to conduct investigations and develop recommendations, City staff said.

SM City Council Approves Revised 2021-29 Housing Element Update

10/15/2021 9:00 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The housing plan highlights include:

Amending the Zoning Ordinance to establish a 100% affordable housing overlay for moderate-income (up to 120% AMI) housing projects in the downtown area and Bergamot area and the immediate area around the 17th Street E-Line station;

Incentivizing affordable housing development on surface parking lots of residentially zoned sites adjacent to commercial-fronting boulevards and parking lots of community assembly uses, such as churches;

AND: https://santamonica.gov/press/2021/10/13/city-council-adopts-housing-element-update

City Hires Outside Counsel to Help Fight Councilmember's Case

10/15/2021 8:46 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Attorney has hired outside counsel to help fight a lawsuit filed by Councilmember Oscar de la Torre claiming he is being illegally excluded from deliberations on the voting rights lawsuit.

Ramon Batista Selected to Lead the Santa Monica Police Dept

10/14/2021 9:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Manager David White announced the selection of Ramon Batista, Jr., a 35-year law enforcement leader to join the City of Santa Monica as chief of police. Chief Batista comes to Santa Monica from Mesa, Arizona’s third-largest city, where he served as police chief. Before that time, he spent 30 years rising through the ranks of the Tucson Police Department, including two years as assistant chief of police.

Council Cautiously Approves Housing Plan

10/14/2021 9:26 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Approved on a 5 to 2 vote, the Housing Element Update provides a road map for building 8,895 housing units over the next eight years, more than two-thirds of them affordable.

David White begins role as City Manager

10/13/2021 9:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

After 18 months of interim leadership, David White has taken the helm as the permanent City Manager of Santa Monica.

White brings with him five years of experience as the City Manager of Fairfield and two years of experience as the Deputy City Manager of Berkeley, where he recently relocated from.

Impacts on Key City Services and Infrastructure From Building 8,895 New Housing Units

10/13/2021 9:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The final Environmental Impact Report for the state-ordered addition of 8,895 new housing units to Santa Monica over the next 8 years reveals the projection of significant and unavoidable impacts on air quality, historic resources, fire protection services, education, recreational facilities, water sustainability, and Vehicle Miles Traveled thresholds.

Virtues of a Low-Rise City (Part 2) - SMa.r.t.

10/12/2021 8:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In the final analysis, low-rise buildings consistently out-perform mid- and high-rise buildings in terms of their cost, safety and livability.

Another advantage of lower buildings is that their occupants are able to closely monitor the street and hence exert more “territoriality “on the neighborhood. This makes the streets safer because more eyes on the street discourage crime.

Rising rents spark buying frenzy among apartment investors

10/11/2021 12:29 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Apartments are a hot commodity, and not just in the Inland Empire. Following a year in which the pandemic sent the industry into a tailspin, sales are rebounding throughout Southern California, pushing up prices.