A federal appeals court has upheld a San Francisco law that regulates the ability of landlords to pay tenants to vacate their apartments. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday the law does not violate landlords' free speech, privacy, equal protection or due process rights.

Read More on page 4: http://backissues.smdp.com/020918.pdf

February 8, 2018 -- Cobbling together a record $45 million payment last year for unfunded employee pensions helped postpone a deficit at Santa Monica City Hall, but millions of dollars in red ink are coming anyway, according to a new fiscal forecast.

When the City was formulating a $1.57-billion biennial budget for fiscal years 2017-2019, the finance director warned City spending was outpacing revenue and -- combined with a slowing of the economy -- would face escalating deficits from fiscal years 2019-2020 to 2021-2022.

In an update to the City Council, officials now say the City has skirted a deficit next year, primarily because of the pension paydown it made last year

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/February-2018/02_08_2018_Fiscal_Forecast_Improves_but_Red_Ink_Looms_for_Santa_Monica_City_Hall.html

The definition of policy insanity is to repeat the same mistake and hope for a different, better outcome.

According to the Wall Street Journal, rent control seems to be making a retro comeback. Most forms of intelligent life could be forgiven for asking why. 

Serial experimentation with this policy has repeatedly shown the same result. Initially, tenants rejoice, and rent control looks like a victory for the poor over the landlord class. But the stifling of price signals leads to problems. Rent control starts by producing some sort of redistribution, because the people with low rents at the time that controls are imposed tend to be relatively low-income.

Read More:   https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-02-07/rent-control-needs-retirement-not-a-comeback

Now, backers of term-limits for the council’s seven members are trying to put the issue before voters during the General Election this fall -- and hoping the past will not haunt them.

“There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come,” said Mary Marlow, head of the Santa Monica Transparency Project, a City government watchdog group.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/February-2018/02_07_2018_Supporters_Hope_Term_Limits_for_Santa_Monica_Council_is_Idea_Whose_Time_Has_Come.html

Part of a trend of schools in R1 Santa Monica neighborhoods

Over numerous resident objections, the Santa Monica City Council has turned down an appeal from a decision to allow a 20 student preschool at 2953 Delaware Avenue.

They did add about 60 conditions to the preschool, intended to abate noise, traffic and the like.

The Gandara Park neighborhood mobilized against the proposed preschool.

Read More: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2018/02/06/news/preschool-approved-on-delaware-ave-over-neighborhood-objections/3317.html

What are we, Santa Monica?

Aren’t we the refuge at the end of the freeway? Gateway to the vast blue Pacific Ocean, seen just over the serene shoulders of St. Monica? The rejuvenating Central Park for the ginormous, sprawling Los Angeles, a much-needed breath of fresh air, blue skies, tall palm trees? A sunny, open, casual walking place that draws people from all over LA and all over the world and has for 150 years, for its charms, its history, its ambiance, its distinct sense of place?

Or are we just another indistinguishable slice of LA? Make it all look the same. Build tall buildings, bring in lots more people to live in this already jam-packed 8.4 square miles, snarl the traffic, block out the sun, hide the palm trees, up the crime rate, build a row of really tall buildings overlooking the ocean, a 12-story hotel where we need a town center park, rip out trees, squander our water funds, make housing unaffordable to all but the very well off, commercialize residential neighborhoods, kill diversity, evict longtime citizens and leave no place for their children. Because that’s the path we’re on, with what’s been built and what’s been approved and what’s in the pipeline. The city you knew even five years ago, is being built over. Why? It’s insane. Are we asking for that? I don’t hear it. From the people who live here.

Read More: http://smdp.com/curious-city-ill-raise-your-full-house/164302

DEEGAN ON LA-Now that it’s been killed in committee, the attempt to repeal the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, a state law that prohibits rent control in new housing constructed after 1995, moves the controversial subject from the hands and minds of state legislators to the voices and votes of the public through a prospective ballot initiative in November. 

Both pro and con forces are referring to the very relevant issue of what is “affordable” housing when arguing for and against Costa Hawkins. Those for rent control (and against Costa Hawkins) often can’t afford to rent where they want without rent controls in place, while those against rent control (and for Costa Hawkins to remain in place), can’t afford to make profits by owning buildings where rent control is enforced.

Read More: http://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/los-angeles-for-rss/14844-would-getting-rid-of-costa-hawkins-provide-more-affordable-housing

(at Santa Monica Public Library)

February 6, 2018 -- On February 1, Mayor Ted Winterer delivered the annual State of the City Address. Following is the text of his speech.

Good evening, everyone.

As you just saw, 2017 was an amazing and productive year, and 2018 brings new challenges.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2018/02_06_2018_OPINION_The_Road_Ahead_Mayor_Ted_Winterers_State_of_the_City_Address.html

February 5, 2018 -- Five mixed-use apartment projects, most of them downtown and all from three to five stories in height, go to the Santa Monica Planning Commission on Wednesday, as the City’s future of greater density -- but also more housing -- continues to roll forward.

In all, the developments will total 211,415 square feet and would add 243 multi-family housing units, although less than eight percent are reserved as “affordable.”

The Downtown Community Plan (DCP) reserved up to 30 percent of units in such apartment complexes as “affordable” housing, or 35 percent if the units are being built off-site.

However, the DCP does not apply to pending projects where “applications were deemed complete prior to November 16, 2016,” as one report by City planners noted -- which encompasses most of housing developments now rolling out of the City’s development pipeline.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/February-2018/02_05_2018_Five_Mixed_Use_Apartment_Projects_Go_to_Santa_Monica_Planning_Commission.html