ACTION Apartment Association

DCP debate to begin on April 26

04/25/2017 9:29 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The first stop in the Downtown Community Plan (DCP) discussion tour will be the April 26 Planning Commission meeting for an introductory overview of the city’s latest zoning document.

As agendized, the discussion this week is framed as an overview of the final plan and adoption of some technical/administrative paperwork necessary to facilitate the larger process.

Future Santa Monica Ballot Could Feature Parks-Funding Tax Measure

04/24/2017 9:21 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

April 24, 2017 -- Santa Monica does not have enough parks, and there is not enough money in the budget to increase the number or to upgrade the existing ones.

That is the current state of affairs, according to Karen Ginsberg, Santa Monica’s director of community and cultural services.

What could alter this situation is a new tax, or “local funding measure,” as Ginsberg called it in a report that will be reviewed by the City Council at its meeting on Tuesday.

First Hearing on Santa Monica Downtown Community Plan Set for Wednesday

04/24/2017 9:19 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

April 24, 2017 -- Expect a big crowd in Santa Monica City Council Chambers on Wednesday.

That is when the Planning Commission will hold the first hearing on the Downtown Community Plan, a proposed document that sets the rules and vision for development in the area over the next 20 years.

The hearing, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., could take so long that City staff has proposed the possibility of adding a second session Thursday night.

Who’s Running Our City? Less Than 18% of City Staff Live in Santa Monica

04/21/2017 9:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Managing an annual budget of $621.7 million this financial year, City of Santa Monica staff have a sizeable task in front of them, and a small army of employees is required to enable smooth operations. However, with significant planning decisions often a hot headline, and residents calling to take charge of their city, it’s pertinent to note that a vast majority of City staff live somewhere else.

According to the City, 2,705 people are employed by the City of Santa Monica. Only 479, or 17.7 percent, live here. Of the 19 City-employed executives who fall under the Executive Pay Plan (EPP), seven live in the city.

SMa.r.t.-A Conversation About Santa Monica’s Future, Part 2

04/21/2017 9:00 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This week we continue with our review of important issues facing our community.

Housing and affordability: How much do we need and how best to accommodate it? With the influx of millennials, how many will become permanent residents and/or able to afford housing.

Proposed Change Sparks Worries Over Lobbying Law for Santa Monica

04/20/2017 12:20 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

April 20, 2017 -- City officials said they were only trying to clarify -- even strengthen -- a law designed to shine a bright light on the scores of paid lobbyists who jockey for influence at Santa Monica City Hall.

By the time the item reached the council Tuesday night, a clear exemption to the lobbying law was included that covered neighborhood groups, non-profit organizations and the chamber of commerce -- as long as no hired representatives lobbied on their behalf.

The council approved the changes unanimously.

L.A. stiffens rules for replacing rent-controlled units

04/20/2017 11:00 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Los Angeles lawmakers voted Wednesday to stiffen city rules surrounding the demolition of rent-controlled apartments, aiming to ensure that more affordable housing is built.

But business groups have challenged whether the plan is fair — and whether it will stand up in court.

10 Los Angeles renters' rights your landlord doesn't want you to know

04/20/2017 10:56 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

WARNING! Some of the contents pertain to LA only, not Santa Monica

Los Angeles has the fourth-highest percentage of renters of any major U.S. metro area at nearly 54 percent, according to a study by Abodo, which looked at 2015 Census Bureau data. And how many of those renters know their rights as tenants, from the basic to the more obscure?

Santa Monica Watchdog Group Warns New Plan Primes Downtown for “Runaway” Building and Traffic

04/19/2017 3:24 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

April 19, 2017 -- After years of alterations, the final City plan designed to guide new building in the heart of Santa Monica has left downtown primed for "runaway” development and traffic, a local watchdog group is warning.

The Downtown Community Plan (DCP) is still weighted too heavily in favor of developers and leaves residents with little -- if any -- voice in the downtown’s future, said the nine-page critique by the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC).

Cautious Hope for Proposed Citizen Committee on Santa Monica City Employee Costs

04/19/2017 3:15 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

April 19, 2017 -- Just a day after being recommended, a novel new City proposal for a citizen committee to help delve into high compensation for City of Santa Monica employees was already getting early reviews -- and an applicant -- on Tuesday.

“It’s not optimal,” said Dominick Gomez, a member of Northeast Neighbors, a neighborhood association that, with others, has been sharply critical of City employee compensation -- among the highest for California municipalities ("Santa Monica Ranks Third in County for City Employee Compensation Costs, Survey Finds," June 23, 2016).

“It’s a start,” Gomez said.