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Santa Monica Mayor Discusses City's Appeal in Voting Rights Suit

02/25/2019 9:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

February 25, 2019 -- The day after the City Council voted unanimously to appeal a Superior Court decision that the City of Santa Monica had violated the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), Mayor Gleam Davis shared her views with The Lookout.

One of the key reasons the City appealed Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos' ruling ordering the City to switch to district-based elections, is that districts would divide a united city, the mayor said Friday.

"Santa Monica is a very small City, 8.3 square miles, but we are a united and strong community," Davis said.

Santa Monica City Attorney Lane Dilg's Report Recommending the City Council File an Appeal in Voting Rights Lawsuit

02/25/2019 9:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City contends that the trial court "left unresolved a number of significant legal issues and that its rulings on both the CVRA and Equal Protection claims cannot be supported by the facts," City Attorney Lane Dilg wrote.

Santa Monica City Attorney Lane Dilg Report Out on Pico Neighborhood Association et al. v. City of Santa Monica City Council Special Meeting February 21, 2019

Santa Monica Council Votes to Appeal Voting Rights Ruling

02/22/2019 9:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council on Thursday unanimously voted to appeal a Superior Court ruling last week that found Santa Monica's at large election system discriminates against Latino voters.

The vote comes eight days after Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos ordered the City to hold a district-based election on July 2 for all seven Council seats.

She also prohibited Council members not elected under districts from serving after August 15 ("Judge Orders Special District Elections for Council in Final Ruling," February 16, 2019).

AND https://smmirror.com/2019/02/council-appeal-crva-ruling/

AND https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2019/02/22/santa-monica-city-council-votes-to-appeal-judgment-in-lawsuit-challenging-its-use-of-at-large-elections

Santa Monica City Council to Explore How to Shorten Meetings

02/22/2019 9:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Known for its lengthy meetings, the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to vote on ways to streamline public testimony, including limiting a speakers' time under certain circumstances.

The key proposal would limit individual remarks to one minute -- instead of the usual two -- when 15 or more members of the public testify on a single item or if 40 or more "wish to speak on any combination of items," staff said in its report.

AND: https://www.smdp.com/council-moving-to-cut-meeting-times-with-shorter-comments/173034

Evictions, rent hikes push Oregon to statewide rent control

02/22/2019 9:39 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Faced with a housing shortage and skyrocketing rents, Oregon is poised to become the first state to impose mandatory rent controls, with a measure establishing tenant protections moving swiftly through the Legislature.

Many residents have testified in favor of the legislation, describing anxiety and hardship as they face higher rents. Some have gone up by as much as almost 100 percent — forcing people to move, stay with friends or even live in their vehicles.

Future City Council elections to be determined by 7 district map

02/21/2019 10:07 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Future City Council elections will be determined by a seven-district map drawn by the plaintiffs in the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) case because the City of Santa Monica did not propose its own map, the judge in the case wrote in her statement of decision.

The City argues that Judge Yvette Palazuelos’s final ruling in the case, which requires City Council members to be elected in seven districts determined by a map drawn by plaintiffs Maria Loya and the Pico Neighborhood Association, undermines the democratic process. The City’s lawyers say state elections code requires that voters deserve to have a say in how districts are drawn.

Santa Monica Councilmembers' Political Futures Could be Shaped by Thursday's Vote

02/21/2019 9:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

When the City Council votes Thursday on whether to appeal the voting rights lawsuit against the City, the decision could help determine some of the members' political futures.

Under the map Superior Court Judge Yvette M. Palazuelos ordered the City to use for a district-based election, three of the Council members on the dais would be ousted if they remain in their designated districts.

The map places Mayor Gleam Davis and Councilmembers Kevin McKeown and Sue Himmelrich in the same northside district predominantly composed of homeowners.

Water Rate Increase is Entirely Intended to Subsidize Development in Santa Monica

02/21/2019 9:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By January 8, when the City Council voted to increase water rates in the city, there had already been well-above-average rainfall throughout California. To date, California has received 18 trillion gallons of rain this season. This is nearly half the volume of Lake Tahoe.

Staff presented three reasons for the hike, all allegedly going toward creating "water self-sufficiency" for the city.

1. Preliminary design of water treatment plant capacity and efficiency improvements

2. Purchase of a new groundwater well

3. Annual replacement of water mains that have hit the 100-year mark

Special Council meeting scheduled to plan CVRA response

02/20/2019 10:24 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Council is holding a special meeting Thursday to discuss a court ruling that found the City of Santa Monica’s election system discriminated against its Latino population.

Judge Yvette Palazuelos issued a final ruling in the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) case against the City Friday, ordering that future City Council elections will be determined by a seven-district map drawn by the plaintiffs in the case, Maria Loya and the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA).

Palazuelos said the City must hold a special election to elect a new City Council on July 2 because the current Council won their seats in an illegal election system. Each of the seven districts will elect one councilmember.

Here's Our Chance by Charles Andrews

02/20/2019 10:19 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

On Friday Judge Yvette Palazuelos issued her final ruling in the district voting lawsuit the City lost. She ruled that Santa Monica must have a special City Council election, by districts rather than at large, on July 2. Which means that every current Council member will be out, deemed to have been seated by “unlawful elections,” and have to run in their own districts if they want back on the Council. All seven seats are now up for grabs.

This is quite an opportunity for change, but before you dance your jig of hallelujah, understand that the same ugly heads will be lurking in all seven districts, funding six-figure PACs to elect their favored folk who will do their bidding. Union 11 will organize to back and support, with phone calls, mailers and demonstrations, candidates who will give them as many union wage-paying hotels as possible, hotels everywhere, hotels to the sky.