ACTION Apartment Association

City Says No Remedy Needed in Voting Rights Case

12/04/2018 9:37 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

There is no appropriate remedy in the voting rights lawsuit against the City and no need for the judge to impose one before a planned appeal becomes final, according to a brief filed by the City Friday.

In the brief, the City argues that the plaintiffs failed to present evidence at trial demonstrating that Santa Monica's current at-large election system has led to polarized voting or diluted Latino votes.

Kevin Shenkman, the lead attorney for plaintiffs Maria Loya and the Pico Neighborhood Association, said the City is stalling.

The judge has set a hearing to propose an appropriate remedy for December 7.

Santa Monica Voters Backed Statewide Housing Measure, Opposed Water Bond

12/04/2018 9:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica voters defied a statewide trend and handily voted to support Proposition 10, which would have allowed local governments to regulate rents on any type of housing.

Local voters also overwhelmingly supported Propositions 1 and 2 which will create new funding for affordable housing after the measures were approved by California voters November 6.

But they opposed a nearly $9 billion water bond by a larger margin than did voters statewide.

While the Los Angeles County Registrars Office is still counting vote-by-mail and provisional ballots during the 30-day post-election canvass period, the results are not expected to significantly change.

Santa Monica Files Answering Brief Regarding Remedies in CVRA Trial

12/03/2018 8:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On November 30, 2018, the City of Santa Monica filed its answering brief regarding remedies in Pico Neighborhood Association, et al. v. City of Santa Monica.

“The City believes that the evidence presented at trial shows that the City’s election system is fair, inclusive and fully complies with California law,” City Attorney Lane Dilg said. “If, however, an ultimate determination is made that the City’s longstanding at-large system is unlawful, the Court should not just adopt the district map presented by plaintiffs at trial without public input, but instead should order the City to undertake a democratic process -- open to the public -- to determine, subject to judicial review, where district lines should be drawn.”

The Court will hold a hearing on remedies on December 7, 2018.

City considers emergency housing for fire survivors

12/03/2018 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica may be taking in some Woolsey fire evacuees.

About 10 to 15 Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District families who qualify for free or reduced lunch could be moving into vacant affordable housing in Santa Monica after their houses were destroyed in the Woolsey fire. The families are currently couch-surfing, said Tara Barauskas, executive director of the Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM).

On Nov. 27, CCSM requested City Council consider moving some families displaced by the fire to the top of various waiting lists for affordable housing. The council asked staff to develop a plan to house income-qualified families with children in SMMUSD as quickly as possible.

New rules tighten restrictions on water use for new development

12/03/2018 8:30 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Council has passed an amendment to a Santa Monica’s water neutrality ordinance that will close loopholes used by developers to bypass water restrictions. The original ordinance, which went into effect last July, prevents new development from adding to the overall demand for water in Santa Monica. The rules mandate new projects use the same amount of water as the original development, on average, based on the five years before new construction or renovation.

However, the original ordinance only applied to projects that demolished more than 50 percent of a building and some developers were demolishing slightly less than half of a building to get around it.

Read More on pg. 1: http://backissues.smdp.com/120118.pdf

Abandon the Appeal! Rowdy Protestors Tell Santa Monica City Council

11/30/2018 11:07 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

About 100 protestors showed up at the City Council meeting Tuesday night to urge the City Council to abandon the City's appeal of the Voting Rights Act Lawsuit.

Mayor Ted Winterer threatened more than once that he would clear the room if the protestors continued to interrupt speakers with cheering.

"SMRR supposedly stands for Santa Monicans for Renters Rights," said Elaine Golden-Gealer, "but I say SMRR now stands for Santa Monicans for Ruling Residents."

LA County Officials Approve Stricter Regulations for Homeless Shelters

11/30/2018 10:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Los Angeles County officials have unanimously approved universal health and safety standards for homeless shelters.

“This ordinance is an important response to the homelessness crisis in
Los Angeles County. This ordinance creates a new category of housing and recognizes the need for health and safety requirements for the increasing number of interim housing facilities within the County,” said Richard E. Ragland, Principal Deputy for the Los Angeles County Counsel Health Services Division.

https://smmirror.com/2018/11/l-a-county-officials-approve-stricter-regulations-for-homeless-shelters/

AND

http://www.smdp.com/county-sets-new-sanitary-standards-for-homeless-shelters/171173

AND

https://www.smobserved.com/story/2018/11/29/news/la-county-enhances-interim-housing-standards-for-homeless-people/3733.html

Protesters Urge City Not to Appeal Voting Rights Ruling

11/29/2018 7:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Spend taxpayer money on policing parks not paying expensive lawyers, and don't underestimate the ire of voters who oppose the City's plans to appeal the ruling in a voting rights case.

That was the message delivered Tuesday evening by more than 100 demonstrators who rallied on the steps of City Hall before marching into the Council chambers to confront their elected representatives.

At the rally and at the podium, they argued that the City should abide by Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos' tentative ruling that Santa Monica had violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA).

AND, with video:

https://smmirror.com/2018/11/voting-rights-rally/

Vazquez to Step Down from Council Seat

11/29/2018 7:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Councilmember Tony Vazquez will step down from the council to assume the seat on the State Board of Equalization he won on November 6, the City said in a statement Wednesday.

The announcement came after City Attorney Lane Dilg -- amid speculation Vazquez wanted to serve on both bodies -- asked the California Attorney General whether the two offices are “incompatible” as a matter of law.

"The Office of the Attorney General has opined that the offices are indeed incompatible

AND

https://smmirror.com/2018/11/breaking-city-council-will-appoint-new-councilmeber-as-tony-vazquez-to-step-down/

Laws for tenants and landlords subject of upcoming forum

11/28/2018 11:35 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica will hold a forum Dec. 5 to inform tenants and landlords about new local and state laws that impact them.

The most recent law the forum will cover is an ordinance passed by Santa Monica City Council in May that protects students and educators against no-fault evictions during the school year. Speakers will also go over City laws passed in the last couple of years, including one that bans discrimination against tenants who use housing subsidies and another that sets rules for landlords trying to buy out tenants.