sale rules dropped, airport limits weaker than voters were told.

In a letter to the Santa Monica Observer, resident Harriet Epstein wrote that Torosis and Chi "are setting up a mechanism for Santa Monica to sell off its valuable land holdings without any residents' knowledge or participation." She named Bergamot Station, several parking garages, and the airport, and said a longstanding rule on public hearings and comment for land sales had been replaced by an arrangement that could move property and debt out of public view. She said the change was placed on the consent calendar and urged voters not to re-elect Torosis.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2026/10/12/news/resident-accuses-torosis-and-chi-of-clearing-the-way-for-city-land-deals-sale-rules-dropped-airport-limits-weaker-than-voters-were-told/10154.html

by Charles Andrews

Read More: https://smmirror.com/curious-city-santa-monica-overdevelopment-and-city-council-races/

Two Santa Monica property owners who failed to show deed-restricted affordable housing units were occupied by income-qualified tenants reached settlement agreements with the City, the City Attorney's office announced Wednesday.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/October-2026/10_01_2026_City_Settlement_Extends_Protections_for_Deed_Restricted_Units.html

"Measure GG is a deceptive campaign to evict tenants not now subject to eviction just because they currently earn more income than the income category that they qualified for without offering the tenant a unit that meets their current income," said Mathew Millen, a leader of Progressive Landlords of Santa Monica.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/September-2026/09_30_2026_Ballot_Measure_Raises_Eviction_Concerns.html

The City Council last week voted to give final approval to an ordinance that allows tall high-end multi-family projects to replace 89 of Santa Monica's most affordable single-family homes.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/September-2026/09_29_2026_Council_Unleashes_Major_Developments_on_Single_Family_Neighborhood.html

The fundraising leader in the November 3 race for three open Council seats is local businessman Doug Trussler, whose campaign had raised $213,000 this year by the filing period that ended September 19, including $150,000 in personal loans. Trussler's campaign had spent $131,024.

Meanwhile, incumbent Lana Negrete and environmental activist Ashley Oelsen each raised some $100,000, with Negrete receiving $101,311 in contributions of $100 or more from 168 contributors and Oelsen $99,711 from 154 contributions, as well as $25,700 in personal loans.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/September-2026/09_25_2026_Anti_Establishment_Candidates_Lead_in_Fundraising.html

Homeowners in the Pico Neighborhood's Gandara Park area said they will continue fighting to stave off the immediate impacts of SB 79, a state law that allows multi-family developments of up to five stories within half a mile of the city's seven major transit zones.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/September-2026/09_21_2026_Council_Poised_to_Give_Final_Approval_to_Controversial%20_Housing_Ordinance.html

As you can see, those 8 year old issues are still very present today. Our City, for example, has completely abandoned its water-independence goal; it has made no progress in eight years on Vision Zero—four people still die every year in traffic accidents—homelessness is still chronic, and our public debt has ballooned spectacularly.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/sm-a-r-t-column-eight-year-report-card-on-santa-monica/

To help, the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) opened registration on August 19 for the Earthquake Multi-Unit Retrofit (EMR) grant program, the first state-backed financial assistance program designed specifically for owners of soft-story apartment buildings. For properties that qualify, EMR will reimburse up to 70 percent of retrofit costs, potentially as much as $49,600 per building. The grant registration window closes September 30, 2026. 

Read More on page 4: https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/091526.pdf?ref=smdp.com

Santa Monica's police and fire unions on Tuesday announced they have endorsed two additional candidates challenging the city's political establishment in the November race for three open Council seats.

Santa Monica Firefighters, IAFF Local 1109, and the Police Officers Association are backing environmental activist Ashley Oelsen and local businessman Doug Trussler after initially backing Councilmember Lana Negrete, the lone dissenting vote on the seven-member Council.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2026/September-2026/09_16_2026_Police_Fire_Unions_Endorse_Oelsen_Trussler.html

AND: https://www.smdp.com/public-safety-unions-expand-endorsements-alongside-new-survey-saying-the-city-is-on-the-wrong-track/