Under the system, every building will be provided with a green bin, where all organic waste can be disposed of, be it food scraps, garden waste, paper, wood or food-soiled paper products.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/all-households-must-recycle-organic-waste-by-january/209902

The City’s budget remains in active recovery with reserves helping fill the gap for a balanced budget. Fewer reserves will need to be leveraged due to revenues coming in six percent higher than anticipated as a result of the active housing market; higher sales, hotel tax and parking receipts; and the positive impact of the recently passed Measure SM Real Property Transfer Tax increase.

Read More: https://santamonica.gov/press/2021/10/27/city-council-receives-year-end-financial-update

Letter to the Editor

There's hope that the park can be repurposed for a new use. However, if the root cause behind the park's decline isn't addressed, it's just as likely a new public space will suffer the same fate. 

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2021/10_27_2021_LETTERS_Council_Must_Act_Now_to_Solve_%20Out_of_Control_Homeless_Problem.html

Under the ordinance, all Santa Monica single- and multi-family households and commercial customers are required to separate waste using a three-bin system: black for refuse, blue for non-organics recycling such as cardboards and bottles, and green for organics recycling beginning January 1, 2022.

Read More: https://santamonica.gov/press/2021/10/27/council-adopts-mandatory-recycling-ordinance-for-organics

In an upcoming Oct. 26 meeting, City Councilmembers will discuss the fiscal year 2020 to 2021 year-end budget report and what will be done with the unanticipated additional funds. Council will also introduce a mandate that would require all Santa Monica properties to recycle organic materials and will adopt historic property preservation agreements with six new properties.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/council-to-review-year-end-budget-and-introduce-mandatory-recycling-of-organic-waste/209766

This joint development could be achieved by building these affordable units on already owned parcels of land that Metro plans to develop while expanding the current Los Angeles transit system of Metro buses and trains according to Urbanize. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/10/metro-considering-joint-development-of-transit-land-to-build-affordable-housing/

But there’s another more common and efficient way the urban fabric renews itself and that is to take existing buildings and with minor modifications repurpose them to new uses (e.g. adaptive reuse) avoiding their outright demolition and preserving their presence in the community. This adaptive reuse provides benefits that are shared by residents and developers alike:

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/10/sma-r-t-column-the-magic-of-adaptive-reuse/

A judge has agreed to hear arguments between the City and Councilmember Oscar de la Torre over whether de la Torre has a common law conflict of interest with the City’s defense of the California Voting Rights Act lawsuit.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/councilmembers-conflict-of-interest-case-regarding-cvra-case-heading-to-court/209674

Under the proposed ordinance, all residents and businesses must maintain an additional green-colored container for organics recycling, staff said. The container lid must remain closed when not in use.

The organics must be separated from the contents that go into the black refuse container or blue container for non-organic recyclables.

Read More: https://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2021/October-2021/10_20_2021_Santa_Monica_Prepares_to_Launch_Mandatory_Organics_Recycling.html

The pandemic-induced remote work boom has led to many office buildings being left vacant, according to a study by Rent Cafe. Adaptive reuse is defined by Chesco Planning.org as “the process of repurposing buildings for viable new uses and modern functions, other than those originally intended to address present-day needs. Reuse allows for a building’s continued use and helps it remain a viable community asset.”. Rather than demolishing old buildings that potentially have historical value or spending twice the money and time destroying a building completely, merely to raise another in its place, adaptive reuse is like recycling. 

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2021/10/los-angeles-leads-the-nation-in-adaptive-reuse-for-2022/