Originally published May 6, 2016

By Jennifer Eden

A small contingent of grassroots resident activists gathered on the steps of Santa Monica City Hall this morning to submit to the City two stacks of boxes filled with signed Land Use Voter Empowerment (LUVE) initiative petitions.

Read More: http://smmirror.com/2016/12/story-of-the-year-the-power-of-luve-initiative-garners-10000-signatures/

Most of this years top stories had something to do with the extraordinary increase in the price of Westside real estate.

Read More:  http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/12/29/news/observer-picks-top-ten-santa-monica-news-stories-of-2016/2430.html

City Hall began work on a new zoning document to govern Santa Monica’s coast. 

Read the recap: http://smdp.com/year-in-review-government/159091

November 2016 was an election year. Voters approved several measures that would raise taxes to pay for affordable housing/education, fund construction at Santa Monica College and tighten the city’s anti-corruption rules. 

Read the recap: http://smdp.com/year-in-review-other/159089

We continually hear from those who propose more and more development that it is all about a shortage of affordable housing. Close to 3,000 units approved and in the pipeline has not produced affordable housing. It’s a myth, a con. The new housing units will rent very high, whatever the market will bear, which in fact will have the opposite effect, of raising rent ceilings in the adjacent neighborhoods.

Read More: http://smmirror.com/2016/12/the-mansionization-of-santa-monica/

Seven Santa Monica apartment buildings caught in the middle of a legal battle have been sold to a San Francisco real estate investment company. The sale involved a total of nine apartment complexes managed by Santa Monica’s largest apartment owner, NMS Properties.

Read More: http://smdp.com/tug-of-war-continues-over-local-apartment-buildings/159071

December 21, 2016 -- Santa Monica is closer to easing rules for “granny flats,” or second smaller units that homeowners historically built on their property for housing family members but are now viewed as a way to address the affordable housing crunch.

Despite such concerns as the impact on parking, the City’s Planning Commission has tentatively supported modifying local zoning to match a new statewide law that relaxes restrictions on constructing an “accessory dwelling unit” (ADU) in the backyard or in garages on the property of Santa Monica’s single-family homes.

The final decision must still be made by the City Council. 

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2016/December-2016/12_21_2016_Relaxed_Law_on_Granny_Flats_in_Santa_Monica_Moves_Closer_to_Approval.html

His $278,00 a year annual salary will be about half of what Santa Monica pays its police chief, Jacqueline Seabrooks. No, seriously--Santa Monica pays her $478,000 a year. That's over twice as much. The City of San Francisco is seven times larger as Santa Monica. Think about it.

Read More: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/12/21/news/lapd-deputy-chief-william-scott-52-appointed-san-francisco-police-chief/2407.html

The Santa Monica Non-profit pays college grads to sift through trash for answers to the questions: What do LA County residents discard? Could it be composted, recycled or better disposed of? They are performing a statistical analysis.

"This is a pilot program, through which we are refining a model for multi-family food scrap collection programs. As a part of each pilot, we conduct a pre-pilot waste audit and a post-pilot waste audit," Gittlen wrote. She, Charlotte Will and Eleni Petrow were conducting research for http://www.Globalgreen.org Multi-Family Food Waste Organics Program.

Read More: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/12/21/news/global-green-goes-dumpster-diving-in-westside-alleys-seeking-to-improve-trash/2401.html

 I am astounded that our City pays a salary and benefits to a Police Chief equal to what this Country pays our President! 

Read More: http://smmirror.com/2016/12/letter-to-the-editor-salaries-of-the-city/