Santa Monica has failed to meet its own affordable housing goals for the third consecutive year, building less than half of the aimed for affordable units.

According to a report on Propositions R and I presented to the city last week, only 13 percent of the residences built last year were considered affordable. The City Charter requires 30 percent of new construction be affordable but developers have failed to meet that measurement for several years.

The annual report measures the number of housing units completed, in construction and approved in a given year. While the charter only governs units completed, staff said the additional data shows what’s likely to happen down the line and helps account for the uneven pace of construction over the years.

This year 100 residences were completed (13 affordable/13 percent), 586 units were under construction (118 affordable/20 percent) and 386 were approved (70 affordable/18 percent). In total the 16/17 year tracked 1,072 units (201 affordable/19 percent).

Read More: http://smdp.com/less-than-half-of-new-units-meeting-city-affordability-rules/166151

 In light of an increase in overall crime, the Santa Monica Police Department implemented a few changes:
• An increase in visibility of uniformed personnel.

• Newly instituted operational protocols, giving management and supervisory staff additional resources to immediately address the areas of the City most impacted by crime.

• Daily evaluation of the need to reallocate and add additional resources.
Read More on page 3:  https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/CMO/CommGovRel/r2.Seascape%20May%202018-Interactive(1).pdf

By Nikki Kolhoff and Ann Thanawalla

May 14, 2018 -- In 2016, Santa Monica residents generously voted to increase our taxes to support affordable housing and our public schools.

Although the combined measures (GS/GSH) were “advisory” transaction and use taxes, voters were told to trust our City Council to pay the revenue over to the School District. Both measures passed and in each case voters told our government to give half of these tax increases to our public schools.

Despite this clear mandate from the voters and the legal ability for the City to pay the tax revenues over to the School District, the City wanted more.

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/letters/Letters-2018/05_14_2018_OPINION_City_of_Santa_Monica_Held_Tax_Revenues_Hostage_School_District_Left_Millions_on_the_Table.html

Backers of a statewide initiative aimed at expanding Prop. 13 for senior homeowners have submitted almost a million signatures to election officials, more than enough to qualify the measure for next November’s ballot, the California Association of Realtors, the initiative’s principal backer, has announced.

If approved, the Prop. 13 “portability” measure would allow homeowners who are 55 or older to take their low property tax base with them after selling their home and buying a new home anywhere in the state. There would be no limit on how many times they can use the provision and no limit on home prices (although buying a more expensive home would result in a slightly higher “blended” tax assessment).

Read More: https://www.ocregister.com/2018/04/13/signatures-filed-for-initiative-to-strike-prop-13-moving-penalty-for-seniors/

In recent articles we stated that the City of Santa Monica gathers data about its citizens (and obtains it from other sources too), and suggested ways to protect that information, with oversight from citizens. Residents, we said, can certainly benefit from data obtained by the City in all sorts of important ways, from alleviating traffic to improving the quality of our water. But without proper protection and oversight, that data – gathered individually from residents and visitors, and outside sources – might also be used to invade people’s privacy and exploit their information, especially if the data is shared with third parties – deliberately or not.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2018/05/sm-a-r-t-opinion-our-data-our-privacy-part-3/

Although the City Charter requires 30% of new construction to be considered affordable, Santa Monica failed to meet that for the third year.

Read More:  https://patch.com/california/santamonica/only-13-new-santa-monica-residences-considered-affordable?utm_source=alert-breakingnews&utm_medium=email&utm_term=weather&utm_campaign=alert

AND

http://smdp.com/less-than-half-of-new-units-meeting-city-affordability-rules/166151

AND

http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/May-2018/05_14_2018_City_of_Santa_Monica_Fails_to_Meet_Affordable_Housing_Mandate_for_Third_Year_in_a_Row.html

With the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) considering a pair of bonds to fund separate school facilities improvement districts (SFID) for both Santa Monica and Malibu, it appears residents in both communities would support new taxes.

Read More on pg. 1 : http://backissues.smdp.com/051218.pdf

At its meeting last night, May 8, 2018, the Santa Monica City Council approved an ordinance to enhance tenant protections for students and educators facing no-fault evictions during the school year.

The defense would be available in the event of a no-fault eviction when:

·         A child under the age of 18 or any educator resides in the unit,

·         the child or educator is a tenant in the unit or has a custodial or family relationship with a tenant in the unit,

·         the tenant has resided in the unit for 12 months or more, and

·         the effective date of the notice of termination of tenancy falls during the school year.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2018/05/09/santa-monica-city-council-approves-ordinance-to-enhance-tenant-protections-for-educators-and-students-facing-no-fault-evictions

AND

SMDP, May 14, pg. 5: http://backissues.smdp.com/051418.pdf

At its meeting last night, May 8, 2018, the Santa Monica City Council endorsed recommendations in an employee compensation study prepared by private auditing firm Moss Adams. The study came to Council after extensive review by the Audit Subcommittee. Council approved a motion asking staff to explore additional opportunities to tackle pension liability. Council also directed staff to proceed with an implementation plan to prioritize and meet the objectives of each recommendation. Staff will return to Council in six months and every six months after until the implementation actions are completed.

Read More: https://www.santamonica.gov/press/2018/05/09/city-council-approves-implementation-of-employee-compensation-study-recommendations

AND: Santa Monica moves to control staffing costs

at: http://smdp.com/santa-monica-moves-to-control-staffing-costs/166085

May 10, 2018 -- A first-ever ad hoc citizens committee that looked into costly pay and pensions at Santa Monica City Hall was bid farewell Tuesday, with the calls for action by some of its members rejected.

Some on the five-member residents panel had called for immediate wage and/or hiring freezes to pay a looming $461 million bill for unfunded pensions as the City Council accepted the findings and recommendations of an outside audit.

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2018/May-2018/05_10_2018_After_Frank_Exchange_of_Views_Santa_Monica_Citizen_Committee_Is_Bid_Farewell.html