ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Transparency Project Accuses Gleam Davis of Conflict of Interest

09/24/2020 9:15 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Santa Monica Transparency Project has written an open letter accusing SM City Council member Gleam Davis of a conflict of interest regarding the proposed expansion of the Miramar Hotel, a project which has been in the works for about a decade.

"Ms. Davis' husband John Prindle is a highly paid, long-term senior executive at Dell Technologies. See Ms. Davis' Schedule C, Form 700 filings from at least 2013. Indeed, he is Global Accounts Manager," says the letter.

Michael Dell, the largest shareholder in Dell Inc., also has a large interest in the Miramar property at the northeast corner of Ocean Avenue and Wilshire Blvd., the group says.

Voting Rights Lawsuit Pits Progressive Leaders Against Santa Monica

09/24/2020 9:11 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A voting rights lawsuit against Santa Monica is pitting some of the nation and state's leading progressive organizations against a City that prides itself on its liberal policies.

The groups -- which include the nation's two largest Latino organizations, three minority caucuses in the State legislature and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference -- have filed amicus letters on behalf of the Latino plaintiffs in the California Voting Rights (CVRA) lawsuit.

The letters urge the State Supreme Court to overturn an Appeals Court ruling in July that found the City's at-large election system does not discriminate against Latino voters.

Common Sense for City Council - Phil Brock

09/23/2020 8:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Santa Monica City Council is elected to represent Santa Monica residents, and I firmly believe that YOU, the residents, matter.

Your Column Here – Will City Council Cave to Another Big Developer?

09/23/2020 8:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This project doesn’t give the commensurate level of community benefits to justify approving its DA as opposed to approving a smaller project under current zoning standards. The 48 units of affordable housing are not nearly enough. It also doesn’t mitigate the known community burdens that will be caused by eliminating the existing Wilshire entrance and adding new entrances on neighboring streets ill-designed to accommodate the increased traffic.

Councilmember Seeks Opinion on Potential Conflict in Miramar Vote

09/23/2020 8:02 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Councilmember Gleam Davis has asked the City Attorney whether she should recuse herself from voting on the Miramar project the Council will consider Tuesday night.

Davis' husband, John Prindle, has been a high ranking official for eight years with Dell Technologies, whose founder and CEO Michael Dell owns the Miramar through his private investment firm MSD Capital.

SMa.r.t. Column: Spending and Pension Policies Are Undermining Our City’s Future

09/22/2020 11:49 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Potential Non-Resident Spending Could Hit $1.5 Billion…or More

Potential climate and pension spending works out to between $1.25 to $1.5M BILLION, to be funded over approximately 10 or so years as the climate initiative has been delayed, but not cancelled. This, from a city with total annual revenues averaging ~$650M pre-Covid, and which will be $535M this year.

Santa Monica Extends Eviction Moratorium

09/22/2020 11:36 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica on Monday paved the way for outdoor events at City sites that include concerts, drive-in movies and "commercial fitness activities."

The order -- the 26th supplement issued over the past six months -- also extends the City’s eviction moratorium and local emergency orders through the end of the year.

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2020/09/21/expanded-covid-safe-outdoor-opportunities-eviction-moratorium-and-local-emergency-orders-extended-to-december-31

Here’s Why This Is a Highly Unusual Council Race

09/21/2020 9:16 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This year there’s something highly unusual going on with the five incumbents. Only one of the four incumbents running for a 4-year term on the city council identified themselves as a councilmember in the ballot designations submitted to the City Clerk.

In prior years, take 2016 for example, all sitting councilmembers designated themselves as such. We can’t remember an election cycle in recent memory in which any sitting Councilmember didn’t highlight their elected position.

Chief discussing May looting with community groups

09/18/2020 8:12 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

With the official report analyzing the city’s response to the May 31 looting delayed by at least six months, Police Chief Cynthia Renaud has begun touring local community groups to provide details on the delay and answer community concerns over public safety.

Lawsuit Seeks Reimbursement For Unpaid Rent During COVID Emergency

09/18/2020 8:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A group of rental companies has sued eight Southern California cities -- including Santa Monica -- seeking reimbursement for unpaid rent deferred during the coronavirus emergency.

Filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, the lawsuit -- which also names the County and State -- claims the eviction moratoriums imposed by the defendants over the past half year constitute a takings without just compensation.