During the last meeting, City Council approved several key measures, including the adoption of the city’s strategic plan, the Renters Protection Program, and a reorganization of the Human Services Division. Council also established new job classifications and salary rates while approving a budget amendment to reflect financial impacts outlined in the staff report.
Councilmember Ellis Raskin raised concerns about the impact of construction on tenants, citing instances where renovations have rendered units uninhabitable for prolonged periods. In response, the council directed the City Manager and City Attorney to return within 60 days with proposed updates to the city's tenant protections during construction and tenant relocation assistance codes.
The proposed changes aim to strengthen safeguards against forced displacement and ensure tenants receive adequate notice of construction activities that may affect their living conditions. The council also requested a review of per diem rates for temporarily relocated tenants, assessing whether adjustments should be made to better support larger households and those with special needs.
The City Manager and Attorney will evaluate potential modifications, including a possible cost-of-living adjustment and present recommendations at a future meeting.
Council voted unanimously 6-0 as Mayor Lana Negrete was in Washington DC and unable to attend. Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya was attending remotely. In addition, members of council voted to extend the proclamation declaring a local emergency on homelessness. The current one expires on May 31, 2025 and this will extend it to December 31, 2026. City Council first declared a local emergency on homelessness on February 14, 2023, aiming to access additional resources and streamline efforts to address the crisis.
Also, as a result of this meeting, in April of this year, the City Attorney’s Office will introduce SaMo Bridge, a diversion program offering rehabilitation services as an alternative to incarceration. Funded by an $8 million Proposition 47 grant and operated by Exodus Recovery, Inc, the initiative will provide low-level offenders with support and resources rather than entering the criminal justice system.
On December 17, 2024, the City Council authorized agreements with four vendors to implement SaMo Bridge and passed an emergency zoning ordinance to facilitate its operation. Following community engagement, officials selected a parking lot at Pico Blvd and Main Street as the program’s location instead of the previously proposed Civic Center site. The grant will fund the program for three years, with future funding yet to be secured.
Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis highlighted the need for continued cooperation from every contributing office, “We have to make sure that the COG (Councils of Governments) and the county and Metro and Caltrans and everyone is at the table and maintaining their spaces and sharing resources and delivering services,” she said.
“The burden cannot fully fall on Santa Monica and … we need a long term vision for SaMo Shell. I know that that hasn't gone to the top of the list every time we've talked, because we're in such a dire budget situation right now, but this SaMo Shell. has completely passed its useful life and if we're thinking about like long term safety, stability and and asset management, we have to do something about SaMo Shell,” Torosis said, adding, “We need a permanent facility, and that's why I really hope that we'll lean in with our partners at the county and the COG to make sure that we get funding for additional beds and services.”
