Big changes are happening at City Hall. But one would never know that elected leaders are about to fill one of the most important jobs in Santa Monica — the city manager. Unfortunately, Susan McCarthy, who has held the position for the past six years and is a 24-year veteran of public service in Santa Monica, will retire in November.
There has been virtually no public discussion about what kind of person should fill the shoes of McCarthy, who has been a tremendous leader through some of the most difficult times in the city’s history.
City Hall has hired a headhunter to help in the search, but it shouldn’t be left up to seven elected leaders — behind closed doors — to make such a crucial decision without properly asking the question in public of what kind of leader will be needed to lead us into the future.
A lot is happening in city government these days. A new development plan to guide Santa Monica as it builds out over the next 20 years, as well as how to handle the corresponding traffic, is being contemplated. A new planning director will be hired, as will a new “homeless czar” to address Santa Monica’s growing problem of vagrancy and all of its correlating social ills.
So, should the next city manager be an existing resident who is familiar with the issues or should that person hail from elsewhere, possibly offering a new, fresh perspective? Should he or she have a background in development or come from a financial background? These are questions that elected leaders should get input on before making any decision.
Luckily, a few city councilmembers have decided to put the issue on next week’s meeting agenda.
It’s imperative that Santa Monicans feel they have a say in the process.
Visitors coming to the Third Street Promenade hoping to get a taste of what this world-class tourist destination offers oftentimes leave with a poor taste in their mouths, made fully aware of what city grit can do to a place.
That’s the case with downtown alleys, which city officials like to call “passageways” in their best public relations spin. But one stroll through them and it becomes painfully obvious that these passageways are nothing more than dirty, smelly and sometimes dangerous urban alleys.
Most visitors park their cars in one of the city’s several garages, which abut the alleys behind the Promenade. In their effort to find the Promenade, the public is forced to walk by overflowing dumpsters and homeless people relieving themselves. The stench of urine and garbage permeate the air here.
Santa Monica should be a memorable place, but not like this. City Hall this year has committed to spending more than $3 million in the downtown area, mostly to address maintenance issues that need immediate attention. But that will only scratch the surface for what’s needed to overhaul the alleys.
Better signage is needed to lead people to passageways connecting to the Promenade. The dumpster rooms need to be centralized and put away from heavy pedestrian traffic areas. More lighting must be put in to ensure nighttime safety, and more police patrols are necessary. Individual businesses must be more vigilant in keeping the homeless from loitering and relieving themselves behind their establishments. And those same businesses need to do a better job of keeping the dumpsters they are responsible for clean.
Downtown officials are considering an ambassador program which would involve hiring individuals to serve not only as watchdogs for illegal activity, but also as concierges to guide visitors through the district and help manage the bustling area.
It’s a great idea and one that should be funded by City Hall. With a budget of $383 million, City Hall should have enough money to invest into one of its most important assets and not coincidentally, one of its highest sales tax revenue generators.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 7, 2005. Read the original PDF.