ACTION Apartment Association

Council Approves Nearly $13 Million in Contracts

06/14/2023 1:17 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council on Tuesday approved half a dozen five-year contracts totaling nearly $13 million for services ranging from private security at parking structures to maintenance of police radio operations.

The biggest expenditure on the Consent Calendar was a $4,788,523 modification of a contract with Illinois-based Motorola Solutions, Inc. "for maintenance of the interoperable public safety trunked radio communications system and radio equipment."

Council Takes Up Lawsuits Stemming from 2020 Riots

06/14/2023 8:40 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The City Council on Tuesday took up four lawsuits -- including a federal case filed by Black Lives Matter (BLM) -- claiming the City violated the rights of protestors during the May 31, 2020 riots in Santa Monica.

llegal Short-Term Rental Violations Increase as City Enforcement Decreases

06/13/2023 9:16 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

See Video: https://smmirror.com/2023/06/illegal-short-term-rental-violations-increase-as-city-enforcement-decreases/

Council Poised to Approve $2.2 Million Contract for Parking Structure Security

06/13/2023 9:13 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The proposed $2.2 million contract with Good Guard Security would provide four unarmed guards, including a supervisor, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. at 10 parking structures.

Small Claims Court Moves From Santa Monica Courthouse, to Beverly Hills

06/12/2023 9:18 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The Superior Court has announced that effective July 3, 2023, all small claims hearings in the Court's West District will be moved from the Santa Monica Courthouse, 1725 Main St., Santa Monica, to the Beverly Hills Courthouse at 9355 Burton Way, Beverly Hills. This from the office of Clerk of Court David W. Slayton.

SMa.r.t. Thirsty Santa Monica: Running Dry

06/12/2023 9:15 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The thirst is real, and Santa Monica is feeling it. The problem? Santa Monica relies on the Metropolitan Water District for a quarter of its water, and in spite of recent welcome rains, in the long run, those sources are drying up, driving prices sky-high.

The city has made heroic efforts to shift to local sources like wells and recycled water, but becoming water self-sufficient is proving to be an uphill battle. The commercial sector’s increasing consumption and new real estate developments are partly to blame.

Proposed Amendment to the California Constitution Passes Housing Committee

06/12/2023 9:14 AM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

California Assemblymember Matt Haney of District 17 in San Francisco has introduced ACA 10, which is a Constitutional amendment for the state of California that would enshrine the fundamental right to housing in the state’s constitution. According to The Sacramento Bee, ACA 10 passed a vote in the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development with a 6 to 2 vote. The no votes were from Republican members of the committee on June 7, 2023.

Council gives final feedback on 2023-2025 proposed biennial budget before adoption

06/09/2023 12:45 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

City Council held a study session to review the Financial Year (FY) 2023-25 proposed biennial budget last week and among the instructions to staff were a block of actions to bolster the city’s landmark and preservation process.

Council want to reestablish monthly meetings for the Landmarks Commission, waive application fees for non-profits and Landmarks Commissioners for Landmark Designations and Certificates of Appropriateness, review legal considerations for placing pending Demolition Permit applications on the Landmarks Commission agendas and explore the possibility of limiting consultant review of Landmark Designation applications.

‘Godzilla next door’: How California developers gained new leverage to build more homes

06/09/2023 12:43 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

WS Communities put forward its not-so-modest proposal at a moment when it had extreme leverage over the city thanks to a new interpretation of a 33-year-old housing law. Santa Monica’s state-required housing plan had expired and its new plan had yet to be approved. According to the law, in that non-compliance window, developers can exploit the so-called builder’s remedy, in which they can build as much as they want wherever they want so long as at least 20% of the proposed units are set aside for lower income residents.

Impact of Supreme Court Ruling on Local Voting Rights Case Debatable

06/09/2023 12:34 PM | Margaret Fulton (Administrator)

The 5-4 decision affirms a lower court ruling that struck down a map drawn by the state's Republican-led Senate that voting rights activists say discriminates against Black voters.

The map carved out one majority Black district and spread other black voters into districts dominated by Whites, diluting the Black vote.