ACTION Apartment Association

Santa Monica Defends High City Salaries as Key to Quality Services

12/06/2016 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

December 6, 2016 -- Reacting to new public scrutiny of Santa Monica City government salaries -- among the highest in the state -- City Manager Rick Cole has posted a defense saying the reports are “true, but misleading” and fail to consider the high quality of services delivered.

Path Toward New Santa Monica Development Measure Could Begin This Week

12/05/2016 8:38 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

December 5, 2016 -- The wide-margin defeat of Measure LV in last month's Santa Monica election could just be the first stage in a path toward putting voters in charge of at least some development decisions in this city.

Two City Council members have placed an item on Tuesday's agenda calling for staff to "explore procedural steps" on establishing "voter approval requirements" for certain types of development projects.

Rent subsidy could focus on post-rent income levels

12/03/2016 8:55 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Hall is still several months away from implementing a local rent subsidy program but a new proposal could significantly improve the program’s ability to help those who need it most. According to staff, The Preserving Our Diversity (POD) Program would provide city funds to help rent-controlled tenants who are considered rent-burdened.

OpEd: SM.a.r.t. A House Divided Cannot Stand

12/02/2016 8:47 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Following the election, our city remains as divided as ever. Are we an urban, or a beachfront city? Who will determine our future- developers or residents? Will we continue seeing sunlit skies, trees, local merchants, and children playing in our parks? Will we walk, drive, and bicycle safely? Will we preserve what’s iconic about Santa Monica? If so, what steps are necessary to assure this future? In this article, we addressed six issues that need to be resolved for a better tomorrow.

Court Dispute Between Developers Spills into Santa Monica City Council Chambers

12/02/2016 8:36 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

December 2, 2016 -- Following a judge's ruling against NMS Properties that included allegations of forgery and perjury, a Santa Monica City Council member is calling for a review of the developer's agreements with the City.

Santa Monica to Continue Non-Enforcement of Immigration Laws, Police Chief Says

12/02/2016 8:34 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

December 2, 2016 -- President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to crack down on illegal immigration will have no effect on Santa Monica’s long-held policy not to enforce immigration laws, Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks wrote in a statement that appears on the City’s website.

and:

http://smmirror.com/2016/12/smpd-immigration-enforcement-announcement/

Nearly 2,000 Buildings in Santa Monica at Risk in Earthquake

12/01/2016 8:32 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

December 1, 2016 -- Nearly 2,000 buildings are at risk of major damage in Santa Monica when the next big earthquake hits, and as many as 80 percent of them are apartment buildings constructed in the 1950s and 1960s, a City report released Tuesday found.

No Politics at the Movies

11/30/2016 8:31 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

By Charles Andrews

Locally, was LV defeated because $1,300,000 buys an avalanche of big fliers, a heap of lies and the opposition endorsements of an impressive list of formerly reputable organizations whose boards, not their rank and file membership, line up with big money developer interests? Were four City Council incumbents re-elected because their campaigns have access to those same vaults? No one can say for sure. But I’ve got a feelin’.

Real Estate Developer Nailed For Evidence Tampering by LA Superior Court

11/30/2016 8:26 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

In a civil case involving NMS Family Living Trust, and Margot and Neil Shekhter, Superior Court Judge Suzanne Bruguera found that NMS Properties and its owners, destroyed and hid electronic evidence from the Court and the opposing parties.

The conduct concerned buildings owned and operated by NMS in Los Angeles, not Santa Monica, ...

It is unclear what, if any impact the decision will have on Santa Monica's properties, or on NMS' status at City hall as the City of Santa Monica's unofficial favorite developer.

Water rates to increase by 5 percent

11/29/2016 11:33 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

Water rates will increase by five percent in 2017 resulting in an average increase of about $2 per month for the average residential user.

The increase is less than the 9 percent initially scheduled for the year and Council chose to adjust the cost at their Nov. 22 meeting after hearing revenues increased this year while costs were below expectations.