The Silicon Beach economy is maturing and evolving according to global law firm Goodwin who have recently announced plans to set up a new practice in Santa Monica dedicated to private equity and technology.

The new office will be located at 520 Broadway in Santa Monica. It will initially take up more than 20,000 square feet over the building’s entire fifth floor. A.J. Weidhaas, Co-Chair of the firm’s Private Equity practice, will serve as the Santa Monica Office Chair. The office will be home to approximately 20 technology and private equity lawyers, including current Goodwin lawyers who will relocate and lateral talent.

Weidhaas said opening an office in Santa Monica is necessary due to the logistical and cultural constraints of Silicon Beach.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/continued-evolution-of-silicon-beach-economy-brings-new-companies-into-and-out-of-town/174053

The City owns 1318 4th St., which is currently home to Parking Structure No. 3. The structure is heavily used but has long been slated for demolition, and the City designed Parking Structure No. 6 to replace the parking capacity that would be lost. Fewer drivers are using the downtown public parking structures, City staff said.

The City worked with two companies for more than a decade to replace the structure with a movie theater, but both companies have withdrawn from negotiations. On Tuesday, City Council could approve a plan to solicit proposals to build 100 to 150 affordable apartments on the site.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/downtown-parking-structure-could-become-new-housing/174050

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals this week affirmed the City of Santa Monica’s Home-Sharing Ordinance in the face of a challenge brought by Airbnb and Homeaway.com. This ruling confirms the City’s right to regulate home sharing in order to protect its limited housing stock for residents.

The district court and now a unanimous panel of three Ninth Circuit judges have agreed that the City’s Home-Sharing Ordinance is a lawful housing and rental regulation with the “central and significant goal” of preserving the City’s “housing stock and preserving the quality and nature of residential neighborhoods.”

Read More: https://smmirror.com/federal-court-uphold-citys-homeshare-ban/

Starting next month, Santa Monica businesses will begin receiving 100 percent green power through the city's new default energy provider, City officials said Thursday.

The businesses -- which account for 75 percent of Santa Monica's electricity demand -- will follow the lead of residents, who began using the Clean Power Alliance (CPA) as their energy provider in February.

City officials said the transition to the government-run power agency "will have a huge impact on reducing Santa Monica’s greenhouse gas emissions."

Customers can choose between three tiers -- 100 percent, 50 percent and 36 percent -- offered by the CPA, which requires its member cities to select a default rate option.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/April-2019/04_04_2019_Santa_Monica_Businesses_to_Begin_Receiving_100_Percent_Green_Energy.html

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2019/04/04/santa-monica-businesses-transition-to-green-power-starting-in-may

In early April, Santa Monica will launch the Citywide Dashboard, which is designed to provide transparency in the City’s efforts to use data to drive decisions to achieve community outcomes.

Starting in 2017, the City began organizing work efforts around outcomes in the strategic vision for our City called our “Framework for a Sustainable City of Wellbeing.” The Framework outcomes are: Connected and Engaged Community (Community); Inclusive, Affordable and Diverse Local Economy (Economic Opportunity); Reliable, Effective and Efficient Government (Governance); Physical, Mental and Environmental Health (Health); Lifelong Opportunities for Personal Growth (Learning); Resilient Built and Natural Environment (Place and Planet); A Safe Place for All (Safety). Each of these seven outcomes includes outcome metrics, all backed by current and relevant data, to help us understand whether we are on track to achieve these outcomes.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/a-clearer-picture-with-the-citywide-dashboard

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2019/04/09/new-performance-dashboard-shares-progress-on-community-outcomes-with-the-public

See Map at: Detailed Beat Map-April 2019.jpg

Members of black and Latino families displaced generations ago by the Civic Center and 10 Freeway would be given priority for affordable housing under a proposal by Santa Monica Council member Kevin McKeown.

The Council last Tuesday voted unanimously to explore the "restorative justice" measure as a way to commemorate the Belmar Triangle neighborhood that was destroyed in the 1950s to pave the way for the Civic Auditorium.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/April-2019/04_03_2019_Santa_Monica_Explores_Proposal_to_Bring_Back_Minority_Families_%20Displaced_in_the_1950s%20.html

When the next Santa Monica election rolls around Nikima “Niki” Newsome will be charged with making sure everything runs smoothly.

Newsome was tapped by City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren as Santa Monica's new Assistant Director of Records and Election Services/Assistant City Clerk.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/April-2019/04_02_2019_Santa_Monica_Hires_New_Assistant_City_Clerk.html

AND: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2019/04/02/nikima-newsome-selected-as-assistant-city-clerk

See the list compiled by the National Multifamily Housing Council: https://www.nmhc.org/globalassets/advocacy/rent-control/Rent-Control-by-State-Chart.pdf

 The Consumer Protection Division of the Santa Monica City Attorney's Office, along with the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles (AAGLA) and ACTION Apartment Association will co-sponsor the workshop Fair Housing Issues in Rental Housing on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 from 9 am to 12 pm at the Santa Monica Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

Read More: http://calendar.smgov.net/other/eventsignup.asp?ID=952&rts=&disptype=&ret=eventcalendar.asp&pointer=&returnToSearch=&SignupType=&num=0&ad=&dt=mo&mo=4%2F1%2F2019&df=calendar&EventType=ALL&Lib=ALL&AgeGroup=ALL&LangType=0&WindowMode=&noheader=&lad=&pub=1&nopub=&page=&pgdisp=