A. Proposed amendments to the Santa Monica Rent Control Charter Amendment
To take effect only if the state-wide Affordable Housing Act is passed in November 2018 by California voters, thereby repealing the contrary provisions of the Costa Hawkins Act.  1. Set the base rent for all rent controlled units as the lawful rent in effect on January 1, 2018, in order to create greater certainty for property owners in the event the Affordable Housing Act is passed in November 2018 by California voters;

Read More: SMRR-Proposal-06-11-18.pdf

June 11, 2018 -- The City of Santa Monica's upcoming fiscal budget is in large part driven by looming pension costs that will force difficult spending choices the community will help make, according to the staff report for Tuesday's budget hearing.

The City has made voluntary advance pension payments totaling $76 million over the past seven years -- including $45 million last year -- but still faces a projected $461 million in unfunded long-term pension obligations, according to staff.

The proposed $734.1 million budget for fiscal year 2018-19 attempts to match resources with programs, services and projects that" help achieve community-focused outcomes, staff said.

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/June-2018/06_11_2018_Upcoming_Santa_Monica_City_Budget_Tackles_Pension_Costs.html

By putting in a down payment of $182 million, Los Angeles County has leveraged $1.7 billion in public and private funds towards the construction of 3,362 affordable apartments over the last five years, two-thirds of which were reserved for people struggling with homelessness, mental illness and physical disabilities.

Read More on pg. 4: http://backissues.smdp.com/060918.pdf

While residents and visitors avert their gaze, Coil spends his days looking for fellow Californians panhandling on busy streets, sleeping on green lawns and hiding in alleyways. Coil directs Santa Monica’s new C3 team, a collection of social workers giving individual care to Santa Monica’s revolving homeless population. Each day Coil, program manager Matthew McAdams, case manager Laura Lemoine, and peer advocate Felix Garcia spend about five hours talking to every homeless person they can get to in the downtown core.

Read More: http://smdp.com/new-outreach-team-helps-homeless-one-story-at-a-time/166700

Meeting is June 12, 2018

Council will take another swing at a potentially signature development this week with the return of a Frank Gehry designed project along Ocean Ave.

Today, the site has four buildings (three commercial and one mixed-use commercial/residential) and a surface parking lot. The proposal is for a 130 foot (12 stories) project covering 11 parcels totaling 82,500 square feet along Santa Monica Blvd. and Ocean Ave.

The project has been in the pipeline since at least 2013 but planning stalled pending the development of the DCP. Early versions would have been 244 feet tall and reducing the height has altered the mass and density of the project. It now contains four distinct residential buildings planned around a pedestrian-friendly ground floor. The residential portion is now limited to 79 rental units (19 replacement rent-controlled, units, 18 affordable units, and 42 market-rate units) after the developer removed 22 condos from the project.

Read More: http://smdp.com/frank-gehry-project-returns-to-council-this-week/166703

June 7, 2018 -- The Santa Monica City Council is expected to approve a $1 million contract to create a new municipal website that will replace the one created in 2000.

The two-year contract with Edenspikermann L.A. Corporation includes creating the website and providing maintenance for one year, staff said in its report.

The Council will take up the contract at its meeting next Tuesday as part of its consent calendar.

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/June-2018/06_07_2018_City_of_Santa_Monica_Poised_to_Spend_1_Million_for_New_Website.html

The Environmental Protection Agency will not consider the health risks and impacts of asbestos already in the environment when evaluating the dangers associated with the chemical compound, Scott Pruitt quietly announced last week. That means asbestos used in tiles, piping and adhesives throughout homes and businesses in the United States will remain largely unchecked and unaccounted for.

Read More: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/epa-will-not-evaluate-asbestos-in-homes-and-buildings/ar-AAykTif?li=BBnb7Kz

But a split roll initiative is circulating right now, with sponsors in the School and Communities First Coalition including the California League of Women Voters. But that group has reportedly cut the fee it pays petition circulators for valid voter signatures from $3 to $2, probably assuring they won’t gather the needed 585,407 names until after the deadline for reaching this November’s general election ballot.

But there will still be some Proposition 13 action this year. California realtors have placed a measure on the November ballot allowing over-55 citizens to move anywhere in the state and keep their current tax level if they buy a new home for the same or a lower price than what they’re selling. There’s also a formula keeping property taxes down for them if they buy something more expensive.

Seniors can already do most of this within some counties, but not all.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2018/06/opinion-waiting-for-real-proposition-13-change/