ACTION Apartment Association

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)

SM.a.r.t.

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.

Council hopes to boost affordable housing production

01/03/2019 8:45 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Santa Monica will try to increase the number of lowincome housing units in the city by restricting the affordability levels offered to developers.

Extending the DCP rules could prevent developers from constructing buildings with mostly market-rate units and only a few affordable units.

Judge expands ruling to require seven council districts

01/03/2019 8:42 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Future City Council elections in the City of Santa Monica will be determined by a seven-district map after the judge in the voting rights lawsuit altered her earlier ruling.

In December, Judge Yvette Palazuelos issued an amended tentative ruling, siding with Plaintiffs Maria Loya and the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA) that the City’s at-large voting system violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). At that time she ordered the city to discontinue at-large elections and adopt a district based system but she only mandated the borders for a Pico neighborhood district.

In a hearing on Jan. 02, Palazuelos changed her initial ruling altering the borders of the initial Pico district slightly and adding borders for six other districts. The now seven-district map is identical to one presented by the Plaintiffs during the trial.

‘It Will Be Gargantuan’: Seven figure estimate given on legal fees City would spend on appeal

01/03/2019 8:17 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Plantiff attorney in voting rights case against the City of Santa Monica gives estimate.

An attorney representing the plaintiffs in a voting rights case against the City of Santa Monica estimates that the City will spend at least $10,000,000 in legal fees if they decide to appeal the judge’s final decision.

“Last I heard Boutrous [Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.], the guy who argued the remedy motion a couple weeks ago, his billing rate is $2,000 an hour and then they have two other lawyers in the room and one of them is a partner so he is going to be over $1,000 an hour.

Judge Orders City to Use Plaintiffs' Map for Special Council Election

01/02/2019 3:03 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The judge in a voting rights lawsuit against the City on Wednesday ordered a special election under the seven districts proposed by the plaintiffs.

The order came during a nearly hour-long hearing requested by the plaintiffs to clarify the court's amended tentative ruling on December 14 that barred any elections under Santa Monica's current at-large system.

See the City's statement: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2019/01/02/court-changes-tentative-remedy-in-cvra-trial

Affordable Housing: How Jesús is helping build a city with reachable rents

12/26/2018 8:31 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

As Director of Housing Development at Community Corporation of Santa Monica, he firmly believes that people should have the opportunity to live in the same community in which they work.