In terms of the actual agenda, this week’s City Council meeting will probably be a more subdued affair compared to recent weeks as everyone readjusts back to a work routine after the welcome Thanksgiving break before pumping the brakes once again for Christmas and the New Year.
Early on, there will be a commendation for both the Samohi Viking Marching Band and the St. Monica Mariners.
There is a request of Councilmembers Caroline Torosis, Jesse Zwick and Mayor Davis to allocate $10,000 of Council discretionary funds for the Girl Central, Rockstar Kids and Peace Camp community programs operated by local multi-faith nonprofit Church in Ocean Park.
These programs seek to empower youth, particularly girls, children with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged youth, through a variety of programs that promote education, community building and leadership skills.
There is also a request of Mayor Pro Tem Lana Negrete together with Councilmembers Phil Brock and Christine Parra that the City Council allocate $5,000 of their Discretionary Funds to the Samohi Co-Ed Wrestling Team, a 501c3 non-profit organization. The funding will be used to offset costs related to transportation, tournament fees, lodging for out-of-town tournaments and equipment, thereby allowing all students on the team to participate in all activities for the season.
But perhaps the most notable aspect of this meeting, is that it will be the last with Gleam Davis as Mayor, before the handover to Councilmember Phil Brock, which is expected to take place in the next meeting, scheduled for December 12, 2023.
Davis joined the City Council in February 2009 and was elected to an additional two-year term in November 2010. She was re-elected in 2012 for a four-year term and to the position of Mayor Pro Tempore from 2016 to 2018. Davis served as Mayor from 2018-2019 and again in 2022. Prior to joining the City Council, Gleam was a co-chair of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights and served on the Santa Monica Planning Commission.
Brock was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in 2020. A second-generation Santa Monica resident, he has volunteered in the community for over 30 years as chair and member of many commissions, committees, boards, and nonprofit entities.
In December of last year, the Council elected Davis to serve as mayor for one year, with Brock serving the second year. One month later, in January 2023, the Council voted six to one to change the system going forward to "select the longest continuously serving Councilmember, whether initially elected or appointed, to serve as Mayor for a one-year term."
