October 23, 2017 -- The California Supreme Court last week denied an appeal by the City of Santa Monica to review the Voting Rights lawsuit filed against it, upholding a lower court ruling that allows the litigation to proceed to trial.

The October 18 ruling from the 2nd District Court of Appeal of the state Supreme Court was praised by Kevin Shenkman, the attorney representing the plaintiffs -- the Pico Neighborhood Association and Latina Activist Maria Loya ("Santa Monica Facing Lawsuit Over At-Large Council Elections," April 13, 2016).

“The California Supreme Court's unanimous decision last week is further affirmation that the city council members' misguided and expensive fight against the voting rights of their own constituents is, at its core, based on a distorted view of the law,” Shenkman said.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/October-2017/10_23_2017_California_Supreme_Court_Denies_Santa_Monica_Request_to_Toss_Voting_Rights_Lawsuit.html

...the City should not count on developers to provide affordable housing downtown. Instead, this housing should be built along our mid-rise boulevards, adjacent to markets and residential neighborhoods rather than high rises. Since low-rise can be built in wood frame rather than steel, this housing would also be less expensive to build and more ecological. Affordable housing should be provided at the developers’ expense but under public scrutiny and in residential areas. If this were the case, it is far more likely that it will be both more affordable and family-oriented.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2017/10/sma-r-t-road-parking-hell-paved/

October 20, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council is set to approve a slew of new white-collar employee salaries, all but a few close to, or comfortably in, six-figure earnings brackets.

At the top of the new pay chart, which goes into effect October 29, are jobs for senior advisors to the City Manager on airport matters and on the City’s homeless population, both paying $13,503 a month, or $162,036 annually.

A third job, for a “transit community and government engagement manager,” would earn the same pay, according to a report by Finance Director Gigi Decavalles-Hughes going to the council for its meeting next Tuesday.

In all, 21 positions are included in the new classifications and salary rates.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/October-2017/10_20_2017_Santa_Monica_City_Council_Set_to_Approve_More_Six_Figure_Salaries.html

October 20, 2017 -- From a turn-of-the-century home gazing at the Pacific from Palisades Park to one of the first Postmodern high-tech designs in Santa Monica, four local landmarks are likely to get preservation contracts with the City.

Staff is recommending the City negotiate “Historic Property Preservation Agreements” (of Mills Act contracts) with the property owners of 401 Ocean Avenue, 927 Ocean Avenue, 909-911 Montana Avenue and 2433 28th Street.

Read More:   https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/October-2017/10_20_2017_Four_Santa_Monica_Landmarks_Slated_for_Conservation_Contracts.html

Supporters of the new laws compare those misbehaving dog owners to people who acquire handicap signs so they can park in spaces intended for disabled people. The laws make it a misdemeanor to represent an untrained dog as a service animal, and usually come with fines of no more than $500 for an incident.

But because there is no certification or official national registry of legitimate service dogs, there is no way to verify whether a dog has undergone rigorous training to become a service animal.

The American with Disabilities Act requires all places open to the public, such as businesses, government agencies and entertainment venues, to give access to service dogs and their owners. And it permits them to ask only two questions: whether the dog is required because of a disability and what tasks the dog is trained to perform. It is illegal to request documentation for the dog or to ask the nature of the owner's disability.

Read More: https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2017/10/18/tightening-the-leash-on-fake-service-dogs/

By Charles Andrews
From his October 18, 2017 column on page 5

Locally, we have “representatives” who can’t get a report together in 12 years on a lousy flat playing field they promised, to submit to the Coastal Commission, but can for a complex state-of-the-art City Services Building costing $100 million (if we’re lucky), then rent a bus to take their overpaid experts to go fight for that and the multitens-of-millions of our dollars giveaway ECLS building, leaving locals to drive there, if they can, at their own expense and time off. I’m surprised they didn’t outfit the bus with a long banner reading, “LET THEM EAT CAKE!”

The City Attorney’s Office has invited the general public to the premiere screening of a unique animation video about fair housing on October 18, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Martin Luther King Auditorium at the Santa Monica Public Library (601 Santa Monica Blvd.). The sixty-second video “Follow John to Learn About Fair Housing” brings to life the characters from John the wheelchair user, to his friends, family and then finally his landlord. The video will also be digitally launched that same day, minutes after its premiere, at: https://youtu.be/ttGwtZHLPH8

Read More: http://smdp.com/city-attorneys-office-launches-new-fair-housing-video/162950

The City’s largest housing developer will be back in front of the Planning Commission Wednesday, seeking approval for a new 67,000 square foot mixed-use building on Lincoln Boulevard that will result in 100 new apartments and nearly 300 underground parking spaces.

At the moment, 1430 Lincoln Blvd is a boarded up parking lot across from Hi De Ho Comics. The proposal from NMS Properties envisions a five-story building and nearly 6,000 square feet of retail when it is finished.

Read More: http://smdp.com/more-mixed-use-projects-before-planning-commission/162934

October 17, 2017 -- The City of Santa Monica is considering the one-time use of up to $500,000 in federal block-grant funds for an affordable apartment project in Venice for the homeless, according to a report from the City's housing manager.

The City’s federal Community Development Block Grant funds would be spent to rehabilitate 14 existing affordable units at 102 Navy Street, one block south of the Santa Monica border.

Read More:   https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/October-2017/10_17_2017_City_of_Santa_Monica_Considers_Using_Grant_Funds_for_Homeless_Apartments_in_Venice.html

With the images of Mexico City’s devastating earthquake still fresh in everyone’s minds, the Rent Control Board stressed urgency during last week’s discussion of mandatory earthquake retrofit costs.

The Board is considering whether owners should be allowed to pass through the costs of retrofitting their building to rent controlled tenants.

“I think we are up against the clock when facing the big one and it’s scary because we are behind,” board member Nicole Phillis said. “There are 1,300 buildings that are vulnerable and I’m concerned with creating an incentive system that would get retrofits sooner.”

About 550 buildings owners will have received notices to inspect their buildings by the end of October, however, some buildings will not receive notices until August 2018, according to the City’s notification schedule.

The board unanimously agreed that they need to hear much more from the community and stakeholders before they make a decision.

Read More: http://smdp.com/threat-of-the-big-one-looms-over-rent-control-board-discussions/162898