Mount Hermon Baptist Congregation to be Razed for Affordable Housing. Isn't that special?

The fundamental question, however, is what purpose is served by the city government subsidizing people living in this beach city who can't afford market-rate housing. Such government-funded housing does nothing to relieve the crisis of substance-addicted and mentally ill individuals who inhabit and roam the public (and private) areas of the city. Such individuals would not qualify to live in affordable housing, and if they did, they would drive everyone else away by making the property unsafe.

So who profits?

Thefts of opportunity are out of control. Santa Monica is one of the wealthiest cities in America. One website states, you have a 1 in 130 chance of being a victim of a violent crime and that we are now safer than just 4% of California cities. If we gather 21 of us together in our town at least one will be the victim of a property crime. That’s astounding, especially when crime in the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County declined in 2018.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2019/03/no-excuses-stop-the-crime-wave/

Worried about curtailing public testimony, the City Council on Tuesday rejected any major changes to its public input polices.

Instead, it unanimously voted to allow speakers who cut their comments from 2 minutes to 1 to choose to speak first on an item.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/February%202019/02_28_2019_Santa_Monica_Council_Tweaks_Public_Input_Rules.html

AND: https://smmirror.com/2019/03/council-changes-rules-on-public/

by Stephen Lancaster

Having attended the special council meeting on Thursday night (Feb.21) as a listening member of the audience. I was appalled by the arrogance of council members to allow this pre-determined charade to take place at all. Their decision to appeal the courts ruling favoring district elections was decided days if not weeks before this needless meeting took place. It was obvious by the lack of interest, eating and texting by council during public comments that none were relevant to their pre-determined decision to appeal.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/letters-to-the-editor-who-represents-us/173117

55 affordable apartments are coming to the Pico neighborhood.

Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM), a nonprofit that owns and operates 1,719 affordable residences throughout the city, is building a new apartment building on 14th Street between Pico Boulevard and Michigan Avenue for households that earn between 30 and 80 percent of Santa Monica’s median income. 27 units will have one bedroom, 14 will have two and 14 will have three.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/council-approves-pico-housing-project/173105

It's won global awards for the City and grants totaling well over $1 million.

The City manager's office has a $200,000-a-year "czar" and staff dedicated to improving it.

But what is wellbeing?

On Tuesday night, the City Council approved spending $100,000 in discretionary funds to explain the concept to Santa Monica residents.

The money will be used to "create a local 'Wellbeing Summit,' describing and demonstrating our important work around community wellbeing," according to the council member item on the agenda.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/February%202019/02_27_2019_Santa_Monica_Council_Votes_to_Spend_100000_on_Wellbeing_Summit.html

AND: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monica-votes-to-organize-international-wellbeing-summit/173131

Members of the public have until April 1 to weigh in on the City's plan to dramatically reduce Santa Monica's carbon footprint.

The Climate Action & Adaptation Plan -- which is tentatively scheduled to be approved by the City Council at its meeting May 14 -- will help the city "reduce carbon emissions and become climate resilient," City officials said.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/February%202019/02_27_2019_City_Seeks_Public_Input_on_Climate_Action_Plan%20.html

A proposal by the Santa Monica City Council to halve public speaker time from two minutes to one minute has roused vigorous criticism. The current Rules of Order for council meetings allows a speaker 2 minutes per item with a total of 6 minutes per speaker. Speakers are allowed to accept one donation of 2 minutes from another speaker. However, certain items already restrict a speaker to 1 minute. A further proposal is to limit multiple applicants/appellants to a time of 10 minutes total.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2019/03/01/news/santa-monica-city-council-doesnt-want-to-hear-from-you/3838.html

AND: https://www.smdp.com/short-comments-given-priority-by-city-council/173110

by Charles Andrews

SO, VOTE BY DISTRICTS

Big deal. About one quarter of all CA cities do, with 57 more switching this past election and many more coming. None have fallen into ruin. Some switch as soon as it’s proposed. Others do so without a fight, perhaps through clenched teeth, to avoid crushing legal costs. But not SM.

The lengthy court trial has so far cost us, the taxpayers, some $22M (estimated) and it will go higher by millions because the Council voted, unanimously, to appeal. They have been spouting baloney rationalizations but there is only one reason, really: the people in power want desperately to stay in power, they have worked for decades to put a machine in place that guarantees that, and they will fight to the bitter end because they can and because Santa Monica will pay for it,. They are doing it on our dime. No consequences.

Read More: https://www.smdp.com/is-this-what-we-have-become/173080

February 26, 2019 -- A major Santa Monica apartment owner won't get back the properties he claimed had been fraudulently taken and sold by investors, two Superior Court judges ruled in separate cases on Friday.

The rulings could put an end to a five-year quest by Neil Shekhter and NMS Properties, Inc. to reclaim nine properties included in a portfolio that boasted some two dozen apartment buildings, most of them in Downtown Santa Monica.

Read More: http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2019/February%202019/02_26_2019_Major_Santa_Monica_Landlord_Dealt_Two_Critical_Rulings.html