ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Is Not Safe -– PART III: A Path Forward

08/01/2024 11:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Marc L. Verville Last of three parts

It just so happens that safety and cleanliness are the essential baseline conditions required to turning around the devastated retail sector and reinvigorating the restaurant sector, along with the sales tax revenue both generate. It would also positively impact hotel occupancy by improving the city’s attractiveness to high-spending international travelers.

Finally, it would help attract new residents to the expensive new housing being created in the city, further helping the retail and hospitality sectors and, of course, City revenue.

In essence, the City needs to jump-start a virtuous cycle for all stakeholders, and get out of the doom loop its policies have created and intensified.

Santa Monica Rents Continue Sliding

08/01/2024 10:47 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Prices in Santa Monica are now down 4.9 percent year-over-year with the median monthly rent price currently standing at $2,437 after dropping $25 this month, according to data based on the site's listings.

City Council Approves $3.8M Contract to Modernize Permitting System

07/31/2024 12:07 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This decision follows staff input and an extensive evaluation of the existing permitting system and processes. The council’s vote paves the way for the city to invest in a modern and more intuitive permitting system that will guide customers through the permit application process and make the overall review and approval process more efficient for both the public and city staff.

Parra's Candidacy Changes Council Race

07/31/2024 12:01 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Councilmember Christine Parra's surprise entry into the November race has swiftly shifted the dynamics of what promises to be a hotly contested election for four open Council seats.

While Parra's candidacy ups the chances that the Council's Change faction can hang on to a one-vote majority with all three incumbents in the race, it could also act to further splinter the vote of residents who support tougher law enforcement policies.

DTSM welcomes new chair, vice chairs and four new appointments

07/30/2024 12:01 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Following three somewhat muddled rounds of voting the three new, council-appointed seats on the Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. board went to Jon Farzam, Berta Negari and Michelle Cardiel, by votes of 4-3, 5-2 and 4-3 respectively. And in a turn of events not seen too often, both incumbents were not reappointed.

Three Change Incumbents to Run in November

07/30/2024 11:58 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Mayor Phil Brock and Councilmembers Oscar de la Torre and Christine Parra will seek to hold on to a one-seat majority on the seven-member Council when voters fill four open seats on November 5.

SM.a.r.t Column: Food Water and Energy Part 3 of 4

07/29/2024 10:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The grim reality is that Sacramento has opened the floodgates to fill Santa Monica with skyscrapers, which developers are madly rushing in to fill in a feeding frenzy as if there was an infinite and uninterrupted supply of renters and power available. Unlike their 2-3 story cousins, these skyscrapers will become unlivable in their first of many brownouts and power interruptions. Skyscrapers are only required to provide enough power to keep the hallway/stair lights on for about 2 hours to allow for evacuation, plus a uselessly small amount of additional photovoltaic supply, which, as previously stated, may not be accessible when SCE power is cut off. Because there is no way, with current technology, to provide enough photovoltaic power on the roof of buildings taller than three floors, these skyscrapers cannot operate all their systems (lights, air-conditioning, elevators, etc.) in a power outage, thus residents will become prisoners in these dark towers.

Santa Monica Is Not Safe -- Part II: The Issues

07/29/2024 10:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Marc L. Verville, Chair of the City's Audit Subcommittee

Mr. Cody Green, Chairman of the Santa Monica Police Officer's Association (SMPOA), has provided a directional analysis on how much Santa Monica should be spending on public safety.

His analysis was provided as a result of the absence of any other dedicated metrics or resourcing estimates. So, is Mr. Green’s analysis the last word on how much Santa Monica should be spending on public safety, specifically police?

No. But it provides directionally valid data points that align with both resident and business reality -- that our police resources are understaffed. That much is not in question.

Council Places Parking Tax on Ballot

07/29/2024 10:31 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Approved by the Council with a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the Parking Facility Tax measure would raise the existing tax by 8 percent, generating approximately $6.7 million a year.

The revenues would be used to "enhance public safety, create safe routes to school to protect children, lower the risk of fatal traffic accidents and maintain essential city services," according to the language approved by the Council.

Santa Monica Is Not Safe -- PART I: The Problem

07/26/2024 12:45 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Marc L. Verville, Sunset Park resident who is Chair of the City's Audit Subcommittee

City has chosen to manage this issue in a political fog by not following through with any independent analysis of just how many police officers Santa Monica actually needs.

Like many other contentious issues in Santa Monica, the City policy preference is to avoid hard, objective third-party metrics used in transparent analyses that foster clear decisions, progress measurement, accountability and the ability to course correct when needed.