June 20, 2017 -- Santa Monica’s Recreation and Parks Commission is recommending a public park be created over two-thirds of the nearly three-acre site slated for a 12-story, 357,000-square-foot mixed-use project anchored by a hotel.

The Plaza earmarks 12 percent of the project, or 42,000-square feet, for 48 “affordable” apartments -- a key selling point for the City Council as it tries to live up to a 1990 mandate that 30 percent of new housing be earmarked for low-income earners.

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_20_2017_Recreation_and_Parks_Commission_Calls_for_Downtown_Park_on_Proposed_Plaza_at_Santa_Monica_Site.html

June 20, 2017 -- The Santa Monica Planning Commission on Wednesday will consider a five-story mixed-use apartment complex on Lincoln Boulevard that is the largest project in the City's effort to re-makes the commuter thoroughfare into a community of apartment dwellers.

The propose 155,435-square-foot development by FSTAR LLC at 1613-1637 Lincoln Boulevard includes 191 apartments on the upper floors, anchored by 12,477-square feet of commercial space at ground level.

In the mix are 15 units (or about 8 percent of the total units) reserved for low- income earners, a range which in this case means those earning 30 percent of the area’s median income.

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_20_2017_Santa_Monica_Planning_Commission_to_Consider_Largest_Lincoln_Project.html

Santa Rosa’s controversial rent control law was defeated this month by just 781 votes out of more than 33,000 cast, according to final results released Friday by Sonoma County election officials.

Read More: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7108036-181/santa-rosas-rent-control-law?artslide=0

Santa Monica is about to shell out $45 million toward tackling its biggest threat to long-term fiscal sustainability: its long-term unfunded pension obligations for staff members under CalPERS. The money will add up to about an 11 percent decrease in the City’s unfunded liability, according to estimates from PERS cited by the City.

The City Council approved the decision Tuesday to pay down a chunk of the City’s more than $380 million unfunded liability in order to save costs overtime. 

Read More: http://smdp.com/city-leaders-put-45-million-toward-employee-pensions/161385

Now they have one.

On Tuesday, the City Council appointed Elizabeth Van Denburgh, board member and treasurer for the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont), to the subcommittee.

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_16_2017_Council_Appoints_Neighborhood_Activist_to_Santa_Monica_Financial_Oversight_Panel.html

A federal judge has allowed a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case to move forward against Santa Monica’s largest developer, NMS Properties, its CEO Neil Shekhter and his wife, Margot. The RICO case is currently on hold while a dueling lawsuit makes its way through local courts but will resume when it’s over.

Read More: http://smdp.com/corruption-case-against-nms-properties-on-hold-but-allowed-to-continue/161354

Plans to redevelop the Bergamot Station arts complex remain track once following approval of a plan at the June 13 Council Meeting.

On Tuesday, the City Council voted to approve a preliminary plan that preserves several existing buildings, protects current tenants and extends an exclusive negotiating agreement with the developer, the Worthe Real Estate Group. A controversial hotel remains part of the project.

Read More: http://smdp.com/bergamot-plans-move-forward/161336

AND

https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_15_2017_Santa_Monica_City_Council_Approves_Hotel_in_Redevelopment_Plan%20for_Bergamot_Station_Arts_Center.html

The suit claims that citywide elections violate the California Voting Rights Act, which prohibits at-large elections if they can be shown to racially polarize voting. It says in doing so, the City’s at-large system also violates the Equal Protection clause of the state constitution.

Read More:  https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_14_2017_Judge_Orders_Voting_Rights_Lawsuit_Against_City_of_Santa_Monica_to_Move_Forward.html

June 14, 2017 -- A new Santa Monica law that caps water use for developments to the historical use levels for the site will go into effect July 1, City officals said this week.

Approved by the City Council on May 9, the Water Neutrality Ordinance -- which caps water use to the site's historical five-year average -- is part of the City's strategy to achieve water self-sufficiency by 2020, officials said.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/June-2017/06_14_2017_Santa_Monica_Launches_Program_to_Cap_Water_Use.html

AND

http://smdp.com/water-neutrality-ordinance-rapidly-comes-online/161331

2017 General Adjustment (GA) is 2% with a $40 Cap

2017 Annual Registration Fee Set at $198 per Unit

To cover the reasonable and necessary expenses of the Rent Control Agency, the Rent Control Board amended Regulation 11200 to increase the annual registration fee for a controlled unit from $174.96 to $198.00 per year. The upcoming fiscal year runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018. Divided by 12 months, the annual fee per unit of $198 amounts to $16.50 per month. If all registration fees are paid by August 1st of this year, owners may pass through to qualifying tenants half of the monthly amount, which is $8.25, beginning September 1st of this year and continuing for the following 12 months. The registration fee pass-through is in addition to the maximum allowable rent and any surcharges from the tax bill that may be passed through. The Rent Control Agency will be sending registration fee bills to owners at the end of June.