ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica 2020 Candidate list

10/13/2020 11:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Editor’s Note: There are 21 candidates running for City Council, eight for School Board, four for College Board and four for Rent Control Board. Below readers will find brief descriptions of each candidate.

Rent Control Board talks budget

10/12/2020 9:20 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Santa Monica Rent Control Board ended its last budget cycle with a small projected surplus of about $42,000.

Unlawful Detainer Trials Allowed to Proceed in Los Angeles Superior Courts

10/12/2020 9:19 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Most Civil Trials Continued Until January 2021; All Other Civil Non-Jury Trials May Resume on or After November 16, 2020

No on 21

10/10/2020 7:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

I am a long term Santa Monica resident, and can remember the bad old days of “vacancy control”. It was horrific.

Prop 21 would return vacancy control to Santa Monica, and so cap the price of rents to new renters, often at very low levels – and over time inflation will send those capped rents lower and lower.

SMa.r.t. Column: Santa Monica–A Broken System

10/10/2020 7:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A city with competing values and conflicting priorities. Public safety increasingly managed to a non-resident agenda. Resident quality of life subordinated to unrelenting economic development. Economic development justified by the need for public investment in sustainability. Sustainability initiatives that actually have virtually no impact on the residents’ daily quality of life.

Conflicting priorities makes for conflicted policymaking.

City Hires Firm to Probe Police Response to Riots

10/10/2020 7:29 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City announced Friday that it has hired a consulting firm specializing in law enforcement oversight to investigate the Police Department's response to the May 31 riots.

Under the contract, OIR Group will be paid no more than $75,000 to complete the independent after-action report and evaluation of SMPD's response within six months, City officials said.

AND: https://www.smdp.com/oir-group-selected-to-lead-may-31-after-action-report/197356

Where Is The Money to Tackle the Root Causes of Homelessness?

10/10/2020 7:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Letter to the editor

As a real estate investor aware of building costs I am absolutely appalled at the fact that the city is spending $590,383 per unit for studio apartments! ("Santa Monica Approves Loan to Build Homeless Housing," October 8, 2020).

This is $1,180 per square foot. In the free market, these units would cost well less than half of what the city is paying.

Your Column Here – Rental problems

10/09/2020 7:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

If the SM City Council wants to address a housing issue in Santa Monica, then the City of Santa Monica should fund the remedies City Council comes up with. It is unfair for the Council to put the remedy and the cost of the remedy on property owners. I think this ordinance is unenforceable. I am told one property owner is going to file a lawsuit challenging the ordinance. The city is wading into turbulent waters with this ordinance. When the city starts interfering with a person’s property and livelihood, people get litigious.

Council to discuss leasing revisions and more Tuesday

10/09/2020 7:49 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica homeowners and renters can now view the proposed revisions to the city’s medium-term leasing ordinance, which is expected to be amended when City Councilmembers meet Tuesday.

Transparency Project – Following the Money

10/09/2020 7:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

As our mailboxes fill with election mailers, it is important to understand who is supporting the candidates for City Council. Santa Monica limits candidate contributions to $340 from an individual, business or PAC. However, since the Citizen’s United decision by the Supreme Count 10 years ago, Political Action Committees (PACs) can collect and spend unlimited money.