The Downtown Community Plan’s (DCP) stringent new rules for affordable housing production were almost demolished last week when a pair of councilmembers cast protest votes against the procedural motion to update the city’s zoning laws. The DCP was ultimately approved during its second reading on Aug. 8 and will become the law of the land but not before a procedural speedbump threatened to derail the process.

Read More: http://smdp.com/council-almost-accidentally-rejects-affordable-housing-rules/162106

By Gary Rhoades

 Santa Monica law requires property owners to get their tenants a place to live, and pay most expenses, when they’re forced to vacate temporarily. Examples include:

• When the unit is deemed “uninhabitable” (no working bathroom, no hot water, etc.)
• Any time a government agency requires tenants to vacate by law

Read More: http://smdp.com/temporary-relocation-for-santa-monica-tenants/162088

Council took very little time to approve quite a lot of money for a new City Services Building (CSB) adjacent to the current City Hall.

At their Aug. 8 meeting, Council took about 25 minutes to approve bonds worth $76,760,000 to fund a new 50,000 square foot building that will hold about 240 current city employees. The building includes three stories plus a basement, with 45 feet above grade. It will set behind the current City Hall and in front of the Public Safety building.

Read More: http://smdp.com/city-hall-expansion-approved/162084

August 10, 2017 -- A total of 190 retirees of Santa Monica’s City government are receiving annual public pensions ranging from $100,000 to $250,000, a new analysis of 2016 public pension data statewide by a California watchdog group has found.

Released Tuesday by Transparent California, the findings secured a spot for the City among the top 25 public entities with the highest, and most numerous, six-figure pension payouts from the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).

The City of Santa Monica placed 11th on the list and was the only Westside city in the top 25.

The only governments with more employees receiving $100,000 or more in payments were much larger than Santa Monica, which has an estimated population of nearly 94,000.

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/August-2017/08_10_2017_City_of_Santa_on_Top_List_of_Biggest_Public_Pensions_in_California.html

On August 8, 2017, the Santa Monica City Council authorized City Manager Rick Cole to execute seven employee union agreements representing the largest percentage of municipal employees. Overall, the agreements limit annual salary increases to 1.5 to 1.7%, which is equal to or below the region’s Consumer Price Index increase of 1.7% (as of January 2017). The net increase over the two or three year term of the contracts range from 3.5 to 4.7%. The total cost of the negotiated changes is approximately $2,842,088 for FY 2017-18. The budget impact of these changes was included in the General Fund FY 2017-18 through FY 2021-22 Five-Year Financial Forecast.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2017/08/employee-union-agreements-hold-salary-increases-at-or-below-cost-of-living/

August 9, 2017 -- In a move to save water, the City of Santa Monica is adding to the new “smart” irrigation system used for its hundreds of acres of parkland, landscaped byways, lawn bowling, Woodlawn Cemetery and other public green spaces.

Staff wants to replace the current irrigation infrastructure, which it says is 15 years old, no longer under warranty and in disrepair in some cases, according to a report by Susan Cline, the City’s director of public works, before the City Council Tuesday.

Her recommendation follows a pilot project started in 2015 at two City parks using “Calsense smart controllers,” which conserve water by automatically adjusting to climate and environmental changes.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/August-2017/08_09_2017_City_of_Santa_Monica_Adds_to_Smart_Irrigation_System_in_Conservation_Move.html

The wait list for moderate-income households opens at 8 a.m. on Thursday, August 10

The City of Santa Monica will be accepting applications for moderate-income households to be considered for deed restricted apartments created through the City's Affordable Housing Production Program. 

Read More: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2017/08/08/news/city-of-santa-monica-to-accept-applications-for-affordable-housing-from-santa-monica-workers-and-residents/3053.html

AND

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/August-2017/08_09_2017_First_Housing_Wait_List_Opens_for_Moderate_Income_Santa_Monica_Residents_Workers.html

The county and the Home for Good Funders Collaborative—a joint initiative of United Way of Greater Los Angeles—are calling on cities to submit plans that would serve as a blueprint to combat homelessness both locally and regionally. If approved by the collaborative, the cities would be given planning grants ranging from $30,000 to $70,000, depending on the number of homeless individuals within their jurisdictions.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2017/08/new-program-enlists-cities-homelessness-fight/

By Mathew L. Millen

August 8, 2017 -- The City Council wanted to raise funds for low income housing. The Council put two measures on the November 2016 ballot. Measure GS increased the sales tax to 10.25 percent.

Measure GSH was an “advisory” measure that stated in summary, if GS passed the City would donate one half the revenue to the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District [SMMUSD], and use one half for low income housing."

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2017/08_08_2017_OPINION_Council_Does_a_Bait_and_Switch_With_Sales_Tax_Revenue.html

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Public hearings on the following topics will be conducted at the regular Santa Monica Rent Control Board meeting on Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401: 

1) Proposed Revisions to Regulation 4038 respecting the restoration of rents when rent-decrease conditions have been remedied; and 

2) Amendments to Rent Control Board Regulation 4400 respecting construction-related rent decreases

Read More on pg. 4: http://backissues.smdp.com/080717.pdf