This article was being written as our City Council was spending a weekend retreat in Virginia Park addressing the City’s five strategic goals using “data driven planning” to solve “mobility,” “inclusiveness and diversity,” re-purposing the “Santa Monica Airport,” “homelessness” and childhood “education.” Shouldn’t they also be looking at “safety” and “happiness”?

Are data driven decisions just a smoke screen to hide behind as they pursue an agenda driven primarily by the need to fund a huge pension shortfall? Is data driven decision making meant to replace resident driven priorities? Is “number crunching” a better way to establish policy than a human based approach? Apparently so, as the council is upset with residential backlash and is choosing to rely on staff and digital data, rather than residents! But aren’t they elected by the residents, not developers? Their job is to listen to the residents. That being said, there was little discussion about data driven analysis when the city manager emphasized moving from process to focus instead on outcome. The meeting ended with an entire wall of “stickers,” destined to be turned into yet another report?

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2018/05/opinion-sma-r-t-whos-listening/