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Santa Monica Launches Economic Recovery Task Force

04/29/2020 9:43 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

At last night’s City Council meeting, City leadership announced the Santa Monica Economic Recovery Task Force, a collaboration between City staff across departments and dozens of business and community partners to quickly develop and implement measures to get our businesses and workers back on their feet, and get our dynamic local economy moving again. The Economic Recovery Task Force is now working in parallel with active emergency response to lay the groundwork for a multifaceted recovery.

Renters and landlords have questioned whether one-time stimulus checks and unemployment benefits will provide enough money to cover rent, and small businesses have complained that the CARES Act offers little money that could be allocated to rent. The city’s temporary moratorium on evictions holds businesses and renters liable for any unpaid rent six months after the crisis is over.

AND: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-creates-task-force-to-aid-in-economic-recovery-from-covid-19/190261

City Council Appoints George Cardona to Serve as Interim City Attorney

04/29/2020 9:41 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

At its meeting tonight, the Santa Monica City Council named George Cardona as Interim City Attorney. Cardona has served as Special Counsel/Chief of Staff for the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office for the past three years. He steps in to lead the City Attorney’s Office while Lane Dilg serves as Interim City Manager.

Supplemental Order Pauses Deadlines for Building Projects

04/29/2020 9:37 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Building deadlines have been paused, hotel stays can last longer than 30 days and the City's gift policy has been waived for first responders under Santa Monica's latest emergency order.

The order -- issued Friday by newly appointed Interim City Manager Lane Dilg -- is the 12th supplemental order since a local emergency was declared on Friday, March 13 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the order, deadlines for reviewing and acting on planning applications, exercising rights under planning entitlements, and expiration of building permits are paused as of March 16.

Emergency Order on Planning Deadlines

04/28/2020 7:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Today, April 27, 2020, Interim City Manager and Director of Emergency Services Lane Dilg issued the 12^th supplemental order to the City of Santa Monica’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency. The order pauses planning deadlines, extends the length of allowable hotel stays, and allows City first responders and disaster service workers to take advantage of discounts and specials offered to those on the front lines of the response to the public health emergency.

Council Poised to Change Public Input Rules for Remote Meetings

04/28/2020 7:52 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council is expected to vote Tuesday to allow the public to call in during meetings held via teleconferencing during the coronavirus emergency.

To date, public comments have only been accepted in writing -- by noon for distribution online on the date of the meeting and in writing during the meeting to be read into the public record.

If approved, the changes would go into effect at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting May 5.

A Plan for a Bright Future

04/27/2020 8:48 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

by Lane Dilg, City Manager

COVID-19. In light of these difficult realities, on April 14th, the City Council directed staff to develop a plan to restructure the City government and to balance the City budget, which is currently projected to face deficits of $72 million in the General Fund for the current fiscal year (ending June 30th) and $154 million in the next.

We will publish a staff report with staff’s proposal for restructuring by May 1st on the City Council website at smgov.net/council. If you would like to share your views with staff during this process, please email info@smgov.net. On May 5th, the City Council will hold a City Council meeting to review and act on the proposal. Information about that City Council meeting, which will be held by teleconference, is available at smgov.net/council. If you would like to share your views with the City Council before the meeting, please email council.mailbox@smgov.net.

Former City Manager to Receive 7 Months Pay After Resigning During Coronavirus Emergency

04/25/2020 9:17 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Former City Manager Rick Cole is poised to collect his $343,000 annual salary over the next seven months after he stepped down from the City's top post last week during the coronavirus emergency.

Under the agreement the City Council is expected to approve Tuesday, Cole -- who took a 20 percent pay cut during the emergency -- will remain on paid administrative leave through July 4, then separate from City employment.

AND: https://smmirror.com/2020/04/former-city-manager-rick-cole-set-to-recieve-7-months-pay/

City projects nearing completion

04/24/2020 8:06 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Although the city of Santa Monica is delaying, scaling back or canceling $40.4 million in capital projects through next June as municipal revenues dry up during the coronavirus shutdown, several major projects that predate the crisis are finished or nearing completion.

The city will cut its budget for capital improvement projects by 75%, eliminating or suspending projects that were in the bidding process, said city spokesperson Constance Farrell. Projects that will continue are either funded through grants or self-sustaining funds separate from the city’s general fund, which is projected to see a shortfall of $72 million this fiscal year and an additional gap of $154 million next fiscal year due to a steep drop in sales, hotel and parking tax revenues.

Former Santa Monica City Manager Still Being Paid

04/24/2020 8:03 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Rick Cole, Santa Monica’s former City Manager who stepped down over the weekend facing a massive budget deficit, remains on paid administrative leave.

“Council accepted Rick Cole’s offer to step aside as city manager and as a result he was placed on paid administrative leave. On April 28, Council is expected to review the separation agreement that has been negotiated with Rick Cole,” the City told the Santa Monica Mirror.

In 2018, Cole made $462,172 in total pay and benefits.

Across The Bridge! SM a.r.t.

04/24/2020 7:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

While our lives have slowed, the wheels of city government accelerate towards a cataclysmic collision with the 2020-2021 Santa Monica city budget on June 30, 2020. Our general revenue shows a steep decline during this time of international crisis. The vast majority of our sales and bed tax revenues are gone. The projected shortfall through the end of the budget year is $72 Million. The city’s chief finance officer predicts a $154 Million shortfall during the following fiscal year, which begins on July 1. Massive cuts are needed and will affect the services you receive from the City of Santa Monica.

Whether the budget cuts are temporary or permanent will depend upon soul searching by the city council, the interim city manager and department heads, the unions that represent municipal workers, and each of you.