ACTION Apartment Association

School Board to discuss lunch program and bond financing

01/31/2023 10:50 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

This week’s meeting agenda also includes reshuffling of the District’s general obligation bonds to allow them to save money in the current conditions of the bond market. The district says these savings will potentially be passed along to property taxpayers by canceling or repurchasing bonds.

City to fight lawsuit over new taxes

01/31/2023 10:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica will officially defend the voter approved Measure GS from a lawsuit seeking to overturn the measure.

Measure GS was part of an expansive list of lawsuits discussed behind closed doors at last week’s Council meeting and the City’s official decision to fight the suit was the only reportable action taken after several hours of discussion.

An organization called the California Business Roundtable, which is composed of senior executive leadership from major employers throughout the state, is filing a suit against the City of Santa Monica to block Measure GS, which established a third tier of real estate transfer tax.

Is homelessness on the rise in Santa Monica?

01/30/2023 11:44 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The goal of the point-in-time count is to get a snapshot of the homeless population. By doing it across the region at the same time, officials hope to make it less likely to double count or miss individuals who move around. The number of people in shelters is also calculated on the same night.

State Usurping Key Powers From Cities

01/30/2023 10:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

For over the last three years, state government has gradually usurped almost full jurisdiction over one of the key powers always previously held by locally elected officials: The ability to decide what their city or county will look like and feel like over the next few decades.

SMa.r.t Column: Widespread Issues Put Santa Monica in Danger

01/30/2023 10:20 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Following are 5 issues which, along with homelessness and crime, should take priority over all else in our city’s immediate future:

1. Paramount is our city’s economic uncertainty! Historically, our city has been wealthy and looked upon with esteem. But sadly, this may significantly change after letting a volunteer with the city’s parks program – a pedophile – run loose for 20 years with the city being sued by the families involved! Santa Monica is in the process of paying $100 million dollars to date for the lawsuits already settled and is staring directly at another $100-200 million for the remaining lawsuits.

Phil Brock Appointed to Serve on National League of Cities' Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee

01/27/2023 8:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Councilmember Brock was elected to a one-year term and will provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC's federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities on public safety issues, including law enforcement, municipal fire prevention, natural disaster preparedness, and homeland security.

DTSM Inc Needs to Be Disbanded Immediately, Say Some Business Owners

01/26/2023 9:20 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Citing a budget that is heavy on salaries and failed programs, incompetent leadership, and the economically and physically depressed state of the Third Street Promenade, property owner and business leader John Alle is calling for the disbanding of Downtown Santa Monica Inc (DTSM).

DTSM is a "private" non-profit organization that is supposed to work with the City government to manage services and operations in downtown Santa Monica.

White House using one-size-fits-all plan to protect renters

01/26/2023 9:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In addition to limits on "egregious" rate hikes, the White House addressed several actions it plans to take in its commitment to renters. The actions include collecting information on how tenants are screened, updating guidelines on anti-competitive information sharing among landlords and providing legal help to tenants who are evicted.

Annual count of homeless residents begins

01/26/2023 9:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Up to 6,000 clipboard-toting volunteers with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority fanned out for the effort’s main component, the unsheltered street tally. Santa Monica’s count began Wednesday.

"The City will be defending the Measure GS challenge"

01/26/2023 9:01 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Of the ten items on the closed session agenda, City Attorney Doug Sloan only reported on the lawsuit filed against Measure GS, the transfer tax hike approved by voters in November.