ACTION Apartment Association

City of Santa Monica Reorganizes to Help Create New Transportation Model

04/27/2016 8:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Intensifying its efforts to make Santa Monica a new model for transportation, the City Council on Tuesday voted to reorganize the City's Department of Planning and Community Development to better focus on making the beach city more conducive to walking and less reliant on the car.

The plan reshuffles and adds positions to create a new “Mobility Division” and hires a City Urban Designer and a principle planner, according to a staff report to the Council.

Supporters of elected City Attorney undeterred by challenging signature process

04/26/2016 7:27 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Proponents of the City Attorney Accountability Initiative said they have been working in “fits and starts” to gather the signatures necessary to qualify their proposal for a November election. The City Clerk has suggested all signatures for all initiatives should be at her office by May 20 in order to facilitate the multi-step approval process.

Nearly a Quarter of All Low-Income HUD Housing in Santa Monica at Risk

04/26/2016 7:23 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Nearly a quarter of all low-income HUD rental buildings in Santa Monica will be at risk in the near future, as federal loans come due and owners decide whether to continue current operations or move to sharply higher market rates, according to a new City report.

Ethics report overshadows busy City Council agenda

04/25/2016 2:22 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Public attention at the April 26 council meeting will likely center on discussions of the recently released ethics report, but Council has a full agenda in addition to the flagship item.

Council will revisit past decisions on tenant rights, solar energy, and the minimum wage. New business includes business participation for Expo celebrations.

LUVE Petition in Final Countdown Mode

04/25/2016 2:18 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Anti-development petitions behind the LUVE initiative will be out in force today, in a strong final countdown push to the signature finish line.

Myths and truths about Santa Monica’s LUVE initiative [SMa.r.t.]

04/23/2016 7:28 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

We’d like to set the record straight. We’ve all seen a lot of hyperbole over the past two weeks about the Land Use Voter Empowerment initiative. We’ve read the doomsday scenarios. They say it would be a disaster somewhere akin to the sinking of the Titanic and the explosion of the Hindenburg. Our economy would be ruined, jobs would be outsourced and a great wall built around our city. Hmmm … There are also claims that our traffic woes will be solved, rents will never rise again and the sky will always be blue over our Santa Monica. Let’s look at the claims of one anti-LUVE (How can you be against love?) press release from a business group in our town.

City protections credited for stabilizing federally supported affordable housing

04/22/2016 10:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Local affordable housing units that rely on some kind of federal subsidy are unlikely to convert to market rate in the near future, according to a recent report by City Staff.

About 1,014 affordable units rely on funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Depending on the terms of that funding, HUD supported units could be in jeopardy of converting to market rate, but according to the city’s Housing Division, current units are protected by prescient actions by past councils and vigilance by current regulators.

Council comments expected on ethics report

04/21/2016 7:53 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A recently released ethics report will take center stage at City Council next week.

City Hall received the report by attorney John Hueston this week and the April 26 meeting will be the first opportunity for council members to publicly comment on the findings/recommendations.

Hueston was hired to examine two related issues, the hiring/firing of Elizabeth Riel and the City’s lack of enforcement on anti-corruption statutes.

Santa Monica Council to Consider Tougher Anti-Corruption Law

04/21/2016 7:51 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

After an independent ethics investigation found lapses in judgment at City Hall, the Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday will consider recommendations for strengthening its anti-corruption law, including taking the issue to voters.

War for the soul of Santa Monica

04/20/2016 8:29 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Maybe you’re not aware of the tsunami of development that is coming our way. How about a 12-story behemoth (maybe a little less) in the middle of Downtown, on land paid for and belonging to we the people, but being turned over to a private developer for a relative song? It seems like not the right direction or right anything to many of us residents, yet our City Council loves it and is scrambling to make small adjustments they think will make it acceptable, before approving it outright. Did I mention we have an 84′ height limit Downtown?