The Santa
Monica Lookout, Santa Monica, California -- June 2021
Black Lives Matter Sues City June 30, 2021 -- Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and other protesters who participated in demonstrations in Santa Monica last May filed a lawsuit against the City on Monday.
Santa Monica Rents Continue Rising, Report Finds June 30, 2021 -- Rents in Santa Monica rose at a higher rate in June than they did in neighboring Los Angeles, as well as the nation at large, according to a report released by Apartment List this week.
LETTERS -- An Impossible Position June 30, 2021 -- The eviction moratorium will lead to bankruptcy for hard working folks and allow the government to destroy private property rights.
EXTRA -- Council Appoints Negrete to Fill McKeown's Seat June 29, 2021 -- The Change faction on the City Council flexed -- and likely expanded -- its power Tuesday, with the appointment of Lana Negrete to fill a vacant Council seat. It is the third seat filled by appointment in less than two and a half years and gives the Council its first majority not backed by the City's two major factions.
Council Frontrunner Has Deep Establishment Ties June 29, 2021 -- Caroline Torosis --- the frontrunner for a City Council appointment -- had widespread support across Santa Monica's political establishment in her two successful bids for Rent Control Board.
NEWS ANALYSIS --Change Councilmembers Face Dilemma With Appointment June 28, 2021 -- Appoint a Councilmember Tuesday night backed by Santa Monicanas for Renters' Rights (SMRR) or face the prospect of a developer-backed candidate winning a special election for an open City Council seat.
Santa Monica Extends Eviction Moratorium June 28, 2021 -- Residential tenants whose rents become due between July 1 and September 30 have a year to pay under an order issued by Santa Monica's city manager last week.
'Cardboard City' Pops Up on the Promenade June 25, 2021 -- In a fitting match, one of the most recycled materials -- cardboard -- will find a pop-up home next month on the Third Street Promenade, where it will be showcased as a medium for art.
Residents Back Main Street Pilot, Worry About Impact of Venice Homeless, Poll Finds June 24, 2021 -- Most Santa Monica residents approve of the Council's vote to close a short stretch of Main Street to traffic on select weekends and worry about the impact of clearing homeless encampments in Venice Beach, according to a brief monthly poll.
Felon Charged With Attempted Murder on Main Street June 24, 2021 -- A 29-year-old felon was charged Tuesday with attempted murder after assaulting and firing a shot at a man during a confrontation on Main Street Sunday night.
LETTERS -- The Demolition of SMMUSD June 24, 2021 -- It is time for the School Board to pivot, use the facts paid for with public funds and do good for our students and our community.
Council Approves $1.3 Billion Biennial Budget June 23, 2021 -- After nearly eight hours of public testimony and discussion, the City Council on Tuesday approved a more than $1.3 billion biennial budget as Santa Monica's economy begins to bounce back.
Field of Council Hopefuls Swells With Final Rush June 22, 2021 -- A total of 35 applicants will be vying for a vacant seat on the Santa Monica City Council this month, with most submitting applications shortly before Tuesday's noon deadline.
Small City Council Applicant Pool Heading into Homestretch June 22, 2021 -- Santa Monica may be headed into an expensive City Council special election with only 21 candidates having applied for an open seat less than 24 hours before Tuesday's noon deadline.
City Poised to Pump $14 Million Into Water Projects June 18, 2021 -- The City Council is poised to take a major step Tuesday towards weaning Santa Monica away from outside water sources by funding two major projects totaling nearly $14 million.
Rent Board Annual Adjustment Set to Go Into Effect in September June 18, 2021 -- Beginning September 1, Santa Monica rent control tenants will see their monthly rent increase by 1.7 percent after the Rent Control Board approved the latest annual general adjustment last week.
Jalili, City Reach Agreement for Interim City Manager Post June 17, 2021 -- Former City Manager John Jalili -- who has been credited with helping transform Santa Monica into a tech and tourist hub -- will return to run the City on an interim basis next Friday.
Few Applicants Jump in to Fill Vacant Council Seat June 14, 2021 -- The bid to fill Kevin McKeown's seat on the City Council is off to a slow start, with 14 candidates submitting applications since the process kicked off Wednesday.
OPINION -- If You Build It, Nobody Will Come June 11, 2021 -- With enrollment at SMMUSD expected to drop, the School District plans to build a new classroom building, while tearing down an iconic structure that can be easily saved.
Council Approves Main Street Pilot Program June 10, 2021 -- Assuring neighboring residents that it is only a test, the City Council on Tuesday greenlighted a plan to close two blocks of Main Street to traffic on select weekends.
EXTRA --Bobadilla Rejects Offer to Become Santa Monica City Manager June 10, 2021 -- Montebello City Manager René Bobadilla informed the Santa Monica City Council on Thursday that he is rejecting the offer to become the new City Manager.
Council Votes to Craft Code of Conduct, Revisit 1991 Hate Letter June 9, 2021 -- The City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to create a code of conduct to help deter confidential information from being leaked and revisit a police investigation into a 30-year-old hate crime.
Man Arrested for North of Montana Burglary, Two Others At Large June 9, 2021 -- A 33-year-old man was charged with burglary on Tuesday after he was found in the alley of an exclusive Santa Monica residential street with stolen property. Two other suspects are still at large.
EXTRA --Council Votes to Hire Bobadilla as City Manager, Jalili as Interim June 8, 2021 -- The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday night unanimously voted to hire Montebello City Manager René Bobadilla as the new city manager. The Council also unanimously voted to bring back former City Manager John Jalili to serve as interim city manager during the transition.
Santa Monica Marks Lowest Level of COVID Cases as State Poised to Reopen June 8, 2021 -- As California prepares to reopen in one week, confirmed COVID-19 cases in Santa Monica have reached the lowest levels since a health emergency was declared in March of last year, according to data from County Health.
Council to Try 6th Time to Pick City Manager June 7, 2021 -- The City Council has two weeks to hire a permanent or interim City Manager or the decision could be taken out of its hands, The Lookout has learned.
Council to Take Up 30-Year-Old Hate Letter June 7, 2021 -- The City Council on Tuesday will take up an anti-Mexican hate letter mailed to the homes of Latino Santa Monica High School students 30 years ago, a suspected hate crime that has gone unsolved.
Police Make Arrests in Palisades Park Shooting, Downtown Blaze June 3, 2021 -- A homeless man was shot in the eye with a BB gun in Palisades Park on Monday, while another homeless man was arrested for trespassing and starting a fire in an empty rear house the following day, according to police.
LETTERS -- Main Street Plan Offers Chance to Move Forward Together June 3, 2021 -- On Tuesday, the City Council will be voting on not just a pilot program that reserves two blocks of Main Street for pedestrians on weekends, but also a new model of engagement between the City and a neighborhood.
LETTERS -- Main Street Plan Puts Profits Over People June 3, 2021 -- The proposed Main Street pilot program puts the PROFITS of a few businesses over the many PEOPLE who live in Ocean Park, and it’s all premised on a deliberate misinformation campaign.
Council Takes No Action on City Manager Search
June 2, 2021 -- (UPDATED) After nearly four hours in closed session, the City Council on Wednesday reported no action in the search for a new City Manager, then launched the process to replace Councilmember Kevin McKeown.
Santa Monica Police Make Two More Gun Arrests June 2, 2021 -- Gun arrests in Santa Monica are becoming more bizarre with the latest two involving a rifle wrapped in a baby blanket and a gun tucked in the waistband of a felon sporting a bullet proof vest.
LETTERS -- An Ill-Conceived and Bizarre Idea A group of Main Street merchants questions the timing of the experimental weekend closure, its merits and the value of up-ending existing systems for the benefit of a few.
Council Expected to Hire Montebello City Manager June 1, 2021 -- The City Council is expected to hire Montebello City Manager Rene Bobadilla as Santa Monica's new City Manager, making him the first Latino to run the city of some 93,000, The Lookout has learned.
North of Montana Third Wealthiest Zip Code in Nation June 1, 2021 -- Santa Monica's North of Montana Neighborhood was the third most expensive zip code in the U.S. last year, tied with Beverly Hills, according to the annual ranking by Property Shark.
