In response to recent budget cuts and the Covid-19 pandemic, Santa Monica City Council approved changes to the municipal code that relate to a number of transportation services in the city.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/council-agrees-to-adapt-transportation-services/195104

A representative of the proposed “The Plaza” development and the President of Santa Monica College (SMC) are among the new members of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.

The Chamber announced its new 2020-2021 Board of Directors on July 31, coming from a mix of large and small employers and non-profits.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2020/08/plaza-at-santa-monica-representative-smc-president-among-new-chamber-board-members/

 Local voters will decide whether to boost Santa Monica's luxury real estate tax to help fund municipal services and amend the City Charter to help diversify its workforce.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/August-2020/08_04_2020_Santa_Monica_Voters_to_Decide_Fate_of_Two_Ballot_Measures.html

The recently formed Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee held its first community listening session last Thursday to hear from residents who described their experiences with local police officers and recommended public safety changes they would like to see instituted in the city.

The 2-hour discussion held by the 15-member committee, which has been tasked with reviewing proposals for public safety reforms, featured dozens of comments from the more than 100 residents who tuned into the Zoom session last week.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/public-safety-committee-holds-first-community-listening-session/195061

A measure proposing the increase of fees on property sales worth more than $5 million will appear on November ballots after a unanimous vote by Santa Monica City Council this week. 

Read More on page 1: https://s3.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/080120.pdf

City Hall remains closed but some of Santa Monica’s essential services and departments are planning to open this week.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/city-services-whats-opening-soon/195020

A total of 27 City Council hopefuls -- including all five incumbents -- have pulled papers as Santa Monica's nominating period enters its final week on Monday.

As of Friday evening, 25 potential candidates had pulled papers from the City Clerk's office to run for four seats with four-years terms and eight for one seat with a partial 2-year term.

Also pulling nominating papers was Dominic Gomez, a former member of the Community Compensation Advisory Committee, where he was a vocal critic of the City's spending policies.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/July-2020/07_31_2020_More_Than_Two_Dozen_Council_Hopefuls_Vie_for_Five_Open_Seats.html

Dear Editor,

I find it unbelievably odd that the Santa Monica Council gave more weight to the voices of Local 11 members than to those of residents who for years have been opposed to the “Plaza” project ("Santa Monica Council Votes to Continue Negotiations on 'The Plaza' Project Downtown," July 29, 2020).

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2020/07_31_2020_LETTERS_The_Plaza_Project_Raises_Questions_Staff_Wont_Answer.html

Three days ago, your City Council gave away your land in the center of downtown for 30 pieces of silver. The giveaway did not produce any cash; instead, your city council proposed to give an out of town developer 2.5 acres of the people’s land at 5th and Arizona. This land is worth at least $62 million in today’s dollars, and the lease is for the next 99 years. We receive nothing, zip, zero, nada. Imagine what the parcel will be worth 99 years from now! For that very tidy easy to count sum of zero dollars, Santa Monica receives:

• 11 stories of hotel, offices, and retail space, which we won’t need

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2020/07/sma-r-t-column-room-to-breathe/

Plaintiffs in the voting rights lawsuit against the City have asked the California Appeals Court for a rehearing after it found that Santa Monica's at-large election system does not violate State law.

Filed last Friday, the petition contends that the Court's July 9 ruling "contains several critical and factual mistakes" ("Santa Monica's Election System Does Not Violate Latino's Voting Rights, Appeals Court Rules," July 9, 2020).

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2020/July-2020/07_30_2020_Plaintiffs_in_Santa_Monica_Voting_Rights_Suit_File_Petition_for_Rehearing.html

AND: https://smmirror.com/2020/07/plaintiffs-in-voting-rights-case-against-santa-monica-petition-for-rehearing/