January 31, 2017 -- With the March 7 special election nearing, a proposed measure to hike the sales taxes by a quarter cent countywide to help the homeless will get an airing Saturday in a community "conversation" hosted by the City of Santa Monica. ...Measure H

Read More: http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/January-2017/01_31_2017_Tax_to_Help_Homeless_Gets_Airing_in_Santa_Monica.html

At their Feb. 1 meeting, the commission will revisit rules for ancillary dwelling units, sometimes known as “granny units.”

Hearing: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2017, AT 6:30 P.M

Read More on page 1 & 5: http://backissues.smdp.com/013117.pdf

and on page 6: http://backissues.smdp.com/020117.pdf

The City of Santa Monica released its list of buildings that may require a seismic retrofit to ensure their safety in the event of an earthquake. This comes in advance of the Feb. 14 Santa Monica City Council meeting on the Seismic Retrofit Ordinance. The buildings on the list were identified through building permit records and/or visual identification. 

The list of buildings is available online at: http://www.smgov.net/Departments/PCD/Programs/Seismic-Retrofit/

January 30, 2017 -- With the agreement to close Santa Monica Airport (SMO) at the end of 2028 receiving City Council approval by the narrowest possible margin, it shouldn’t be surprising that community reaction was also divided.

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/January-2017/01_30_2017_Reaction_to_Santa_Monica_Airport_Closure_Deal_Mixed.html

New rules in Santa Monica will soon require many older buildings to be inspected, and then reinforced to make them less vulnerable to earthquakes. The City has compiled a list of about 2,400 buildings that may require reinforcing.

One challenge the City will face: how to deal with the flood of building permit applications that will result from this effort.

Read More: http://smmirror.com/2017/01/sma-r-t-reinforcing-the-future-part-2/

Individuals that want to receive federal housing subsidies will have a 12-hour application window beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Santa Monica will open applications for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program next week but this year’s system will have accept fewer individuals and implement more stringent qualification priorities.

Read More: http://smdp.com/12-hour-window-to-apply-for-section-8-vouchers/159445

For the City of Santa Monica, the “probable” scenario shows the General Fund experiencing a potential shortfall of $0.2 million in the 2017-2018 fiscal year that rockets to $16.4 million by the fiscal year of 2021-2022.

The City’s unfunded pension liability of $387 million...

Read More:  http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/January-2017/01_26_2017_Forecast_Predicts_Slowing_in_Santa_Monica_Economy.html

and

http://smdp.com/employee-benefits-and-uncertain-economy-threaten-city-surplus/159447

On Tuesday, the Santa Monica City Council unanimously approved a 50,000-square-foot project that will cost $141 million, including finance costs. The excuse given for the extremely high cost ($2820/square foot) is that the building will be "sustainable" and be a candidate to win Green awards. $100 to $200 a foot are common figures for construction estimators.

Read More: http://www.smobserved.com/story/2017/01/26/news/city-approves-141000000-city-hall-annex/2538.html

and

http://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2017/January-2017/01_26_2017_Council_Rejects_Appeal_of_75_Million_Santa_Monica_City_Hall_Annex.html

As property crime goes up across major cities in California, Santa Monica has also seen an increase in serious crime.

Part 1 crimes (including murder, arson, burglary, assault, and grand theft auto) are up 5.5 percent in the city, to a total of 4,515 incidents in 2016. Nearly 90 percent of those incidents are property related and the City’s downtown business area is seeing the most concentrated problem.

The Police Department divides Santa Monica into four “beats” and SMPD reports 40 percent of all Part One crimes in 2016 happened in Beat 1: the area that encompasses the beach, the Pier and the Promenade.

Read More: http://smdp.com/property-crime-rises-in-santa-monica/159400

If one of your low income tenants is able to obtain a Section 8 apartment in another Santa Monica building, you could have a voluntary vacancy and not have to pay a relocation fee.

The waiting list will be reopening for applications on-line for one day only Tuesday January 31, 2017.

The details, including eligibility requirements, are explained in the flyer linked below.

Assistance can be made available to people unable to apply online but should be arranged prior to January 31.

This does not involve your participation in the Section 8 program in your building.

It is a program for tenants to possibly find Section 8 apartments in other Santa Monica buildings.

If you have questions you can call the city at 310-458-2232.

You can also call Elaine at 310-829-7423, but please read carefully the attached flyer before calling.

See flyer:  https://www.actionsantamonica.com/resources/Documents/20170120192249.pdf