HAVE A HAPPY CESAR CHAVEZ DAY
The Lookout will return Tuesday.

Santa Monica Commemorates Cesar Chavez Day With Closures, Scaled Back Services
March 28,2025 -- City Hall and other public facilities will close on Monday, municipal services will be scaled back or suspended and City programs will be canceled as Santa Monica commemorates Cesar Chavez Day.

Family of Black Entrepreneur Has No Claim to Property Taken by the City
March 28, 2025 -- The family of a Black entrepreneur that claims his Civic Center property was taken by the City in the late 1950s is not entitled to the land, City officials have determined.

Plan to Revive Civic Auditorium Takes Big Step
March 27, 2025 -- The City Council this week took a major, but quiet, step in the decades-long effort to resurrect the shuttered Civic Auditorium as a regional cultural venue.

Santa Monica Rents Continued Rising in March
March 27, 2025 -- Santa Monica rents rose for the third straight month in March and have now increased by 3.2 percent over the past 12 months, according to Apartment List's monthly report released Thursday.

Latest Santa Monica Review Blurs 'Realism and Irrealism"
March 27, 2025 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) next month will release the Spring 2025 issue of its literary review featuring the work of familiar West Coast writers tackling intimate topics.

Motel City Claims is Hotbed for Drugs to Shut Down
March 26, 2025 -- A Sunset Park motel Santa Monica officials claim has long been a public nuisance will close down after the City's decision to revoke its business license was upheld on Monday.

Prominent Black Family's Residence Designated Historic Landmark
March 25, 2025 -- A home built for the family of Santa Monica's first black doctor in 1937 that would help spur new housing in the Pico Neighborhood was officially designated as a local historic landmark this month.

Miramar Gives Ed Foundation Fundraising Boost
March 25, 2025 -- A $25,000 matching grant from the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows will give the Santa Monica Education Foundation a critical boost after pausing its annual campaign following the Palisades Fire, Foundation officials said.

Bay Cities' 100th Anniversary Showcases Civic Spirit
March 24, 2025 -- As Bay Cities Italian Deli marked its 100th anniversary this year, it celebrated more than its famous sandwiches -- it became a symbol of community resilience and unwavering kindness.

Police Crack Down on Illegal Vendors, Performers
March 24, 2025 -- Santa Monica police and code enforcers cracked down on illegal vendors and performers, as well as dog owners around the pier, early this month.

School Board Appoints Top Finance Official
March 21, 2025 -- The School Board last week promoted a 12-year veteran of the District to its top financial post as assistant superintendent of business and fiscal services.

LETTERS -- Closing Fairview Would Be 'A Giant Step Backward'
March 21, 2025 -- With the closing of the Fairview Library, groups like Write Away were displaced and saw their numbers dwindle.

Catastrophic Claims Drive Up Workers' Comp Costs
March 20, 2025 -- After dropping to a seven-year low, City workers' compensation liabilities shot up by $8.2 million last year, the highest amount in at least ten years, the City's top finance official reported Tuesday.

City Lifts Restrictions on Restaurants
March 20, 2025 -- The City on Thursday lifted restrictions on restaurants licensed to serve alcohol in an effort to boost business in the wake of the Palisades Fire.

Big Blue Bus Fares Poised to Rise
March 19, 2025 -- Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus (BBB) is preparing to raise its fares for the first time in nearly a decade to offset rising operational costs, transportation officials said this week.

Five Adults Cited for Buying Alcohol for Minors
March 19, 2025 -- Santa Monica police on Saturday cited five adults who purchased alcoholic beverages for minors during a sting operation, SMPD officials said Wednesday.

Council to Explore Hiking Water Rates
March 18, 2025 -- Santa Monica water rates will need to rise in each of the next five years if the City's water fund is expected to stay afloat, a report to the City Council warns.

Santa Monica Hotels Offer Spring Discounts
March 18, 2025 -- Santa Monica tourism officials are inviting LA County residents to stay in the beach city for a discounted rate during spring break.

Streetlight Repair Backlog Reaches Record Levels
March 17, 2025 -- The time it takes to repair a broken streetlight in Santa Monica has "ballooned" from a week to as long as six months, according to a report sent from Public Works to the City Council Monday.

SMC Jazz Ensemble Features Composers Who Fought Prejudice
March 17, 2025 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) Jazz Ensemble this month will perform "cutting-edge" compositions and arrangements by jazz artists who went against the social grain.

Council Approves Rule Changes
March 14, 2025 -- Members of the public who address the City Council using an electronic presentation will do so "at their own risk" if the technology fails, under a change to the Council rules approved Tuesday.

LETTERS -- Fairview Library Should Be Fully Reopened, Not Sold
March 14, 2025 -- As stewards of the library system, the idea of closing Fairview and selling the land has come as a shock, members of the Library Board wrote.

Palisades Artist's Landscapes Explore 'Changing Forms of Nature'
March 14, 2025 -- An exhibit of drawings by a Pacific Palisades-based artist whose work has been inspired by Southern California's landscape for more than 60 years will open in Santa Monica Canyon this month.

City to Launch New Renters’ Protection Program
March 13, 2025 -- The City Council on Tuesday approved a new Renters’ Protection Program that will initially provide $8 million to expand legal counseling and help tenants at risk of eviction pay their rent.

Seemingly Random Acts Lead to Arrests
March 13, 2025 -- Santa Monica police recently arrested suspects in three separate incidents that involved chasing residents with a knife, waving a machete and lunging at a victim with scissors.

SMC Among Schools Receiving Federal Warning
March 12, 2025 -- Federal officials this week warned 60 institutions of higher education -- including Santa Monica College (SMC) -- that they face "potential enforcement actions" if they fail to protect Jewish students from discrimination.

Local Education Advocate Named Woman of the Year
March 12, 2025 -- Santa Monica State Sen. Ben Allen has named longtime education advocate Shari Davis as women of the year for Senate District 24, which stretches from Malibu to Palos Verdes.

Poll Finds Scant Support for Record Bond
March 11, 2025 -- A recent sampling of Santa Monica voters indicates there is little support for floating a $460 million bond to help the City dig out of a fiscal hole.

PCH to Close for Incoming Storm
March 11, 2025 -- A section of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) will close at noon Wednesday as a winter storm approaches the fire scorched area possibly causing debris flows, Caltrans officials announced.

Council Floats Bold Moves to Balance Budget
March 10, 2025 -- With one member worried Santa Monica could be "careening towards bankruptcy," the City Council on Saturday floated both predictable and extraordinary ways to balance its upcoming budget.

City Taking Steps to Curb Fire Impacts
March 10, 2025 -- Santa Monica City officials have been working behind the scenes and at local beaches to prevent damage from pollution and debris triggered by the recent Palisades Fire.

Council to Consider Banning "Price-Fixing" Rental Software
March 7, 2025 -- The City Council on Tuesday will consider drafting an ordinance to ban the use of price-fixing software that may have been used to jack up rent prices in the LA area after the recent wildfires.

SMC Board Fills Vacant Seat
March 7, 2025 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) Board last month appointed a local businessman with a long history of civic involvement to fill the seat vacated after Barry Snell was elected to the City Council.

City Officials Considering Unprecedented Bond
March 6, 2025 -- Santa Monica officials are exploring an unprecedented $460 million bond measure to pay for capital projects traditionally funded by ongoing City revenues.

City Filling Seats on Two New Committees
March 6, 2025 -- The City is seeking applicants to serve on two new committees that will oversee a local measure that funds affordable housing and schools and a State bill to increase safety on the Big Blue Bus system

City to Enforce Short-term Rental Laws
March 5, 2025 -- The City Council last week voted to begin enforcing home-sharing and vacation rentals laws suspended during the Palisades Fire to help fire victims find housing.

Police to Hold Traffic Safety Operations
March 5, 2025 -- The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) will conduct traffic safety operations Friday to crack down on violations that contributed to a surge in serious crashes last year.

Santa Monica Rents Rise in Wake of Wildfires
March 4, 2025 -- Santa Monica rents rose for the second straight month in February, a trend that could be fueled in part by the wildfires that ravished the Los Angeles region, according to Apartment List's monthly report.

SMC Presents Wide-ranging Photo Exhibit
March 4, 2025 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) will hold an online exhibition this month showcasing a wide variety of photographs taken by students in the school's highly touted Emeritus program.

EXTRA -- City Must Use Savings to Stay Afloat
March 3, 2025 -- The City's budget is in a "structural deficit" and must continue tapping its "already depleted" reserves to stay in the black over the next three years, Santa Monica's Finance Director warned Friday.

Council Sets Aside 3 Affordable Housing Sites
March 3, 2025 -- The City Council last Tuesday paved the way for large-scale affordable housing projects by declaring three City-owned sites as "surplus land" to meet its State-mandated housing quota.

LAHSA Homeless Count Concludes
February 28, 2025 -- The 2025 LA County homeless count, which concluded Friday, saw a drop in volunteers but encountered few technical glitches, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) said.

City Adds New Artwork to Collection
February 28, 2025 -- An artwork composed of shard glass and mirrors was acquired by the City for its municipal Art Bank collection during the Frieze Los Angeles art fair last week.

Council Considers Changes to New Gift Policy
February 27, 2025 -- The City's recently enacted gift policy could be amended to make it easier for Councilmembers to represent the City at paid events.

Council Moves to Amend Contribution Cap
February 27, 2025 -- The City Council on Tuesday took steps to nearly triple the contribution limit to Council candidates' campaigns.

Landlord to Pay $450,000 in Tenant Harassment Suits
February 26, 2025 -- A Santa Monica landlord and her son must pay a total of $450,000 to settle separate tenant harassment cases filed by the City and the defendants who lived in a rent-controlled apartment.

Bus Service to Malibu Resumes Friday
February 26, 2025 -- MTA bus service between Santa Monica and Malibu will resume Friday after it was suspended when the Palisades Fire ignited on January 7, L.A. Metro announced Wednesday.

New Housing Law Could Impact Santa Monica
February 25, 2025 -- A new State law paves the way for "substantially larger" projects to be essentially rubber stamped if a City fails to adopt a compliant housing plan, City planning officials informed the City Council this month.

Kiwanis Club Makes $100,000 Donation for Fire Relief
February 25, 2025 -- The Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica donated $100,000 to the local Salvation Army last Wednesday to aid relief efforts for the wildfires that burned across the LA region last month.

Council Set to Hike Campaign Contribution Limits
February 24, 2025 -- In an effort to "promote free and fair elections," the City Council on Tuesday will consider raising the contribution limit to individual candidates.

New Ways to See the Universe
February 24, 2025 -- The Santa Monica College (SMC) planetarium next month will focus on weather both on Earth and in space and explore technologies that are opening "a new era in astronomy."

LETTERS -- An Abysmal and Persistent Failure
February 24, 2025 -- Santa Monica’s much-ballyhooed approach has failed to improve traffic safety, which worsens, year after year.

City Scrambles to Find Waste Disposal Site
February 21, 2025 -- The City of Santa Monica must act quickly to find a permanent garbage disposal site after the landfill it has used for more than 15 years abruptly shut down for good on New Years Eve.

3 Burglaries Reported, Repeat Offenses Continue
February 21, 2025 -- Three burglaries were reported in Santa Monica over seven days this month, while police arrested seven repeat offenders who had warrants or were in violation of parole.

Three Arrested in Fatal Weekend Stabbing
February 20, 2025 -- Three suspects with "extensive criminal histories" have been arrested for two stabbings, one of them fatal, outside the Fairmont Miramar Hotel Saturday, according to police.

Santa Monica Beach Loses Ground
February 20, 2025 -- Santa Monica State Beach is no longer among the top ten on Tripadvisor's annual list of 25 best U.S. beaches, which was released by the popular travel site this week.

County Set to Count Santa Monica Homeless
February 19, 2025 -- More than 100 volunteers are expected to comb Santa Monica's streets Thursday night to count the number of homeless individuals in the beach city, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA).

Alcohol Sting Operation Nabs 2 Adults
February 19, 2025 -- A sting operation conducted by Santa Monica police this month cited two adults who purchased alcohol for the minor decoy, according to the Police Department.

City Won't Help Enforce Immigration Laws
February 18, 2025 -- Mayor Lana Negrete last week reaffirmed Santa Monica's policy not to assist federal authorities in enforcing U.S. immigration laws.

Greens Festival Celebrates Local Black History, Culture
February 18, 2025 -- Santa Monica will celebrate Black history month on Saturday by honoring the leaders who helped create Virginia Avenue Park half a century ago.