The first meeting for newly elected City councilmembers Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell and Natalya Zernitskaya features a record 26 items on the Consent Calendar, so depending on how many are pulled for discussion will very much determine if the inaugural assembly sails into the early hours or is a more efficient affair.
However, among those many items are several of interest, including entering an agreement with the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation as the selected development team for affordable housing on three City-owned sites adjacent to Wilshire Blvd.
There is also a request for more Taser devices for the Police Department and to enter into an agreement for more closed circuit television camera equipment, costing $716,562 over three years, plus uniforms for the Fire Department at a cost of $415,000 over five years.
Moreover, subjects being discussed behind closed doors in Closed Session include negotiations of a lease for the landmark Civic Auditorium; the ongoing lawsuit of the Pico Neighborhood Association et al. v. City of Santa Monica voting rights case, litigation spearheaded by Oscar de la Torre’s wife, Maria Loya; and the appointment of an interim City Manager.
The lawsuit advocating the switch to district-based elections has been contested for over eight years, from the County Superior Court to the State Supreme Court and back again, costing taxpayers in the City of Santa Monica some $14 million in legal fees already. Loya and others allege that the City’s at-large voting system discriminates against Latino voters and subsequently sought a move to district voting. However, it is extremely unlikely that this new, far left-leaning majority will settle.
David White’s surprise resignation last week means that, as former councilmember Gleam Davis mentioned in her exit speech a week ago, this will be Santa Monica's fourth City Manager since Rick Cole resigned in March 2020, citing an inability to preside over budget and staffing cuts the City was facing. City Attorney Lane Dilg took over the position until leaving in June 2021, when John Jalili took over as Interim City Manager.
City Council’s search for a permanent City Manager began in February 2021, with Montebello City Manager Rene Bobadilla first tapped for the role in June of that year. Bobadilla declined Santa Monica’s offer after a press leak of the selection prompted Montebello City Council to offer him a significant raise.
White began his role as permanent City Manager in October 2021 after serving as the Deputy City Manager of Berkeley, the role he is in fact returning to. During his time with the City of Santa Monica, he oversaw a budget of $705.5 million, the operation of 12 City departments and a workforce of 1,923.
In addition to this already rather substantial agenda, further filled by 15 mostly administrative Discussion Items related to the newly appointed councilmembers, is Item 16N, a request of Vice Mayor Caroline Torosis, Councilmember Jesse Zwick and Mayor Lana Negrete that the City Attorney and City Manager prepare the City of Santa Monica for the presidential transition.
Finally, at the request of Zwick, Zernitskaya and Torosis, in order to reduce the time and cost associated with developing new housing, the City Council will direct the City Manager and City Attorney to return with an ordinance by April 30, 2025 that allows all “housing projects” proposed in all non-residential zones except the Bergamot Area Plan to be processed through an “administrative approval” process regardless of the size of the parcel upon which the housing project is located.
