In 2017 the city passed laws that required buildings on the list of potentially earthquake-vulnerable buildings to have their structures reviewed, analyzed, and if necessary repaired, by certain deadlines (the list: https://tinyurl.com/mr2fhbz9). Today it seems that many building owners may have failed to comply with interim deadlines in the law, and staff shortages may make it difficult for the city to fully enforce those earthquake-retrofit ordinances.

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/03/sma-r-t-column-the-urgency-to-retrofit-earthquake-deficient-buildings-part-ii/

But enthusiasm for the kind of density SB 9 intended to create has not come close to matching the homeowner and developer interest in building ADUs. A report early this year from UC Berkeley’s consistently pro-density Terner Center for Housing Innovation described the law’s impact so far as “limited or nonexistent.”

Read More: https://smmirror.com/2023/03/column-sb-9-ended-r-1-zoning-but-its-not-meeting-goals/

by John Alle

Police chief is reportedly unable to get notification of day or time of planned distributions

The City has acknowledged that without the knowledge of its Police Department, residents and businesses, it has funded and allowed over a year for the County and the Venice Family Clinic to administer a clandestine needle and synthetic drug distribution program in one of the City's largest parks (Reed Park), adjacent to the Children's Playground, basketball courts, and Joslyn Senior Center, and incredibly, 50 yards across the street from one of the largest K-12 schools and Catholic churches in the state, St. Monica's.

Read More: https://www.smobserved.com/story/2023/03/10/news/santa-monica-beneficiary-of-clandestine-county-program-to-give-free-needles-to-addicts-in-city-parks/7482.html

Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Huntington Beach, a city of about 200,000 people along the Southern California coast where the median home sales price is $1.1 million — or more than $300,000 higher than the state average. Bonta is asking a judge to order Huntington Beach City Council to comply with state housing laws and to punish councilmembers by making them pay a fine. 

Read More on page 2: https://s3.amazonaws.com/smdp_backissues/031023.pdf

The three parcels at 1217 Euclid Street, 1211-1217 Fourteenth Street and 1146 Sixteenth Street -- are among 24 City owned parcels earmarked for 100 percent affordable housing development.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/March-2023/03_09_2023_3_City_Owned_Parking_Lots_Earmarked_for_Affordable_Housing.html

“Creating two departments would require creating a new, expensive department director position, as well as an executive assistant to provide administrative support for the new director,” said the letter. “An additional position providing budget and operational support for the new director would also likely be necessary. At minimum, salaries and benefits for the new positions would cost the City several hundred thousand dollars per year.

The proposal would add more high-paid administrative staff at a time when the City has been unable to restore many key services that were reduced due to pandemic-related budget cuts. Notable examples of the City’s continuing challenges include severely reduced after-school programs for low-income youth and significantly reduced hours and services at public libraries.”

Read More: https://smdp.com/2023/03/09/budget-2/

The roadmap, said Nico Predock, sustainability analyst for the City, "is not an officially council-approved and adopted plan. The idea of this is not to say this is what is going to happen.

"The roadmap is meant to present possible policy options," Predock said. "There is still the need for community engagement" before the Council is presented with a plan for electrifying all existing buildings.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/March-2023/03_08_2023_Electrification_Roadmap_Just_a_Start.html

The City conducted a survey in May 2022 that captured community sentiment on the most important issues in Santa Monica once the COVID19 pandemic was over. Traffic was deemed the least urgent, followed by trash and litter in the Downtown and beach areas. Crime rated the second most urgent with homelessness far and away being the most urgent.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2023/03/08/smcc-budget-meeting-preview/

Santa Monica's General Fund non-restricted reserves -- which were used to provide essential services during the pandemic and to settle a costly sexual abuse lawsuit -- lost 30 percent of their funds between June 30, 2019 and June 30, 2022, according to he report.

"Strong reserves are necessary to cushion the delivery of services from the impact of emergency expenditures, contingent liabilities, and economic uncertainty," the report states.

Read More: https://www.surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2023/March-2023/03_07_2022_City_Revenues_to_Take_5_Years_to_Recover.html

The City Council favored a slightly larger increase to solid waste rates that will preserve services to Santa Monica residents at their last meeting.

Read More: https://smdp.com/2023/03/06/smcc-waste-rate-increase/