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City Files Suit Against Major Santa Monica Landlord

01/10/2019 8:25 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City has filed a lawsuit against affiliates of one of Santa Monica's largest landlords charging them with tenant harassment, violating local zoning laws and maintaining a public nuisance.

The defendants include Adam Shekhter, whose father Neil Shekhter recently lost control of nine local apartment buildings after a legal dispute with the hedge fund AEW Capital.

The complaint was filed after the Code Enforcement Division of the City’s Planning & Community Development Department received numerous complaints from the public, according to the City Attorney's office.

"The investigation revealed that the defendants knowingly disobeyed repeated instructions from Code Enforcement (and) failed to fully comply with the City’s tenant relocation order," City officials said Thursday.

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https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2019/01/10/city-attorney-files-criminal-complaint-against-landlords-for-tenant-harassment-public-nuisance-and-zoning-violations

City surveying residents for budget priorities

01/09/2019 10:43 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Community members can tell City Hall what issues are most important to them through an online or paper survey until Jan. 21.

The SaMoSays survey, which opened Dec. 5, gives people who live, work, or own a business or property in Santa Monica to select five priorities they would like city government to devote more resources to. The 23 options participants can select from include keeping neighborhoods safe, mental health and transparency.

City staff will present the results of the survey to City Council at its special meeting on Saturday, Jan. 26. Council will look at how the community ranked all 23 priorities and choose about five to focus on while it develops the City’s new budget, which will take effect for two years on July 1.

City Council Declares Tony Vazquez’s Seat Vacant

01/09/2019 10:35 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Last night, Santa Monica City Council accepted the resignation of Councilmember Tony Vazquez due to his election to the State Board of Equalization and declared the Council seat vacant.

Applications for the vacant seat will be accepted and Council will select a replacement for the remainder of Vazquez’s term, which will end November 3, 2020, absent any earlier special election that may be required in connection with the pending case of Pico Neighborhood Association, et al. v. City of Santa Monica.

City Collected More Than $5.6 Million in Development Impact Fees

01/09/2019 10:07 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City of Santa Monica collected nearly $5.65 million in impact fees from developers to fund community benefits during the past fiscal year, according to the latest annual report.

The fees will fund investments in child care, transportation, parks, affordable housing and water consumption, according to the report presented to the City Council Tuesday.

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https://www.smdp.com/developer-fees-total-5-6-million-last-year/172071

Working Group to Begin Tackling Monster Mansions in Santa Monica -- Again

01/09/2019 9:59 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

For the second time in two decades, Santa Monica will begin developing new standards for "monster mansions" when a workimg group is expected to convene its first meeting later this month.

The initial session comes one year after the City Council passed an interim ordinance to reduce the size of single-family homes while it updates its development standards.

The City Planning Department -- which is taking applications through Thursday -- has so far received 14 applications, said Jing Yeo, the City's planning manager.

The group is "meant to be a collection of architects, contractors, community representatives and other design professionals," Yeo said in a letter sent to potential applicants December 20.

Second squatting case reported over the holidays

01/08/2019 8:25 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

A Mid-City resident came home from a holiday vacation to an uninvited visitor on New Year’s Day.

The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, returned to his apartment near Santa Monica Boulevard and 26th Street at about 2:30 p.m. to find a woman sleeping on his couch. He had left for vacation on Dec. 23.

Does Santa Monica’s new Water Ordinance “Hold Water”? (Part 1)

01/07/2019 12:09 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

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When one looks at the historic water usage for the residential and commercial sectors, there is a clear pattern. Between 2010 and 2015, residential water usage declined by 13 percent while that of the commercial sector increased by the same amount (13 percent) resulting in a 26 percent differential between the two sectors! This occurred around the same time that our City became aware of the need to conserve water due in large part to increased commercial development. Subsequently, many residents rose to the occasion and instituted water saving measures. The same cannot be said for the multi-family and commercial sectors. The water usage in apartment buildings has declined by only 2.5 percent and in the commercial sector it has actually increased by 13 percent!

Community Meeting on Santa Monica’s Transition to the Clean Power Alliance

01/04/2019 10:28 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Your rates will rise unless you act!

Staff from the City of Santa Monica's Office of Sustainability and the Environment are coming to a meeting near you to discuss the City’s transition to the Clean Power Alliance of Southern California (CPA). Find out what this means for residential and commercial electricity customers by attending a presentation near you.

See schedule at: https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/join-a-community-meeting-on-santa-monica-s-transition-to-the-clean-power-alliance

City Poised to Hike Water Rates

01/04/2019 10:09 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Water rates in Santa Monica customers will nearly double under the annual adjustment the City Council is expected to approve Tuesday.

The adjust would hike the 5 percent increases approved during the past three years to 9 percent, or $4.33 for the average single-family home customer, City officials said.

The adjustment would take place retroactively on January 1.

Santa Monica City Council to Launch Process to Fill Vacant Seat

01/04/2019 10:05 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council could have a new member as early as January 22 under a process that would be launched with the acceptance of Tony Vazquez's resignation next Tuesday.

Vazquez announced in a letter to the Council that his resignation would become effective Monday when he assumes the seat on the State Board of Equalization he won on November 6.

Once the Council formally accepts the resignation, an online application process for the open seat would be launched no later than noon on Wednesday, according to a staff report by the City Clerk.