Last Wednesday the City launched the “Santa Monica Shines” COVID-19 assurance program to ensure businesses have the best safety practices and to encourage people to shop locally.

Businesses who enroll in the program will be trained on the latest health and safety requirements and how to ensure customer compliance. Following an onsite evaluation of their protocols, they will receive the Santa Monica Shines Safety Assurance Seal to publicly display.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/city-launches-covid-assurance-program-to-support-local-businesses/195767

Three council members are asking for an outside agency to expedite an analysis of the City’s response to recent looting and riots.

The Santa Monica Police Department has been gathering information about the incident. Councilmembers Terry O’Day, Kristin McCowan and Sue Himmelrich are now asking staff to promptly retain an outside expert to compile the final report.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/outside-agency-to-finish-report-on-looting/195788

Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board formed a subcommittee comprised of local commissioners who have been tasked with finding a replacement for the board’s general counsel.

The Rent Control Board met last week for its second meeting since June 11, when the board adopted its 2020-2021 Operating Budget. Like July’s meeting though, the agenda was a lot lighter than usual since the board only took up discussion on two items outside of the meeting’s public comment period.

Attorney Stephen Lewis is set to retire in November, meaning the board has only a few months to find a sufficient replacement for the position...

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/rent-control-board-seeks-general-counsel-replacement/195771

If you are struggling to sort through the list of 21 candidates aiming for the four Santa Monica City Council seats up for grabs in November, the formation of alliances might help you out. A four-person challenger alliance was announced in local media this week that includes Phil Brock, Oscar de la Torre, Mario Fonda-Bonardi, and Christine Parra. Their goal is to oust incumbents Gleam Davis, Ana Jara, Terry O'Day and Ted Winterer.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2020/08/24/news/slate-phil-brock-oscar-de-la-torre-mario-fonda-bonardi-and-christine-parra-team-up-in-sm-city-council-slate/4863.html

With such existential threats to all residents’ quality of life and financial well-being (renter and homeowner alike), where is our city leadership?  Why was there no formal appeal of the allocations during the appeal window?  Where is the coalition-building with other similarly impacted cities?  Rather than spending $10M to $20M fighting AGAINST its own residents in the district lawsuit, imagine if the city had used a fraction of those resources fighting FOR the residents by, for example, participating in a coalition with other cities to sponsor a ballot initiative prohibiting state control of local land use.  

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2020/08/losing-our-city/

For decades, Arakelian Enterprises (also doing business as Athens Services) has been found guilty in an ongoing string of high-profile controversies, including civil and criminal lawsuits and prosecutions, employment law violations, and environmental violations. The central figures in all of these controversies retain ownership of Arakelian Enterprises, which is variously known as Athens Services, Athens Waste Services, Athens Disposal and West Covina Disposal. 

Read More: http://www.stopathens.org/summary.pdf

Seemingly all of the important actors trying to find a solution to the so-called “eviction wave” looming over California have a strong incentive to strike a deal. As the novel coronavirus pandemic has shuttered wide swaths of the economy and key federal unemployment boosts expired last month, housing experts warn that millions of California renters have already missed or are about to miss rent payments. Landlords fear those lost rent checks will precipitate their own wave of missed mortgage payments and foreclosure. 

Read More: https://calmatters.org/housing/2020/08/california-evictions-tough-questions/

First rolling blackouts in California in 28 years took some residents by surprise this August. It's all about Cal ISO.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2020/08/21/news/santa-monica-at-risk-for-power-blackouts-due-to-power-plant-closings-poor-reserves-and-over-ambitious-green-goals/4862.html

The City Council on Tuesday is expected to approve contracts covering Police Department employees that will save nearly $3 million over the next two fiscal years "while the world waits for an effective vaccine to COVID-19," according to City staff.

A total of $2,923,000 will be saved by reducing salaries and suspending the Sick Leave Buy Back Program for Police Department employees, according to the tentative agreements with Administrative Team Associates (ATA) and the Santa Monica Police Officers Association (POA).

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/August-2020/08_20_2020_Changes_in_SMPD_Contracts_to_Save_Nearly_3_Million.html

The Latino plaintiffs in the voting rights lawsuit against Santa Monica asked the California Supreme Court on Tuesday to review an Appeals Court decision last month in favor of the City.

The request comes after the 2nd District Court of Appeal on July 9 overturned a trial court decision that found Santa Monica's at-large election system violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) by discriminating against Latino voters and ordered the City to hold district elections.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/August-2020/08_19_2020_Plaintiffs_Voting_Rights_Suit_Request_Supreme_Court_Hearing.html

AND: https://www.smdp.com/cvra-plaintiffs-ask-for-california-supreme-court-review/195653