CITY HALL — In February, amid discussions of raising city fees on everything from adult recreation leagues to municipal swimming pool admission, Councilmember Bobby Shriver called out what he felt was the “800-pound gorilla in the room.
Last week, the City Council approved $46.8 million in redevelopment funds for renovation of the 53-year-old Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Problem is the Civic is out of date and no amount of renovation short of a tear-down and rebuild will fix it.
STEWART STREET — A crowd of city officials, builders and residents gathered in the Mountain View Mobile Home Park for the unveiling of 11 new manufactured homes that further the evolution of the city-owned park from outdated to cutting edge.
CITY HALL — After several hours of public comment, discussion and debate, the City Council voted in a four to three decision Thursday to fund the renovation of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium using approximately $47 million of redevelopment money.
CITY HALL — In an attempt to protect redevelopment money from a potential state raid, the City Council voted to commit approximately $100 million to construction projects at its budget meeting Tuesday night.
Grand marshals for the fifth annual Fourth of July parade on Main Street will be Santa Monica’s lifeguards, led by Capt. Angus Alexander, a 31-year veteran who oversees operations at the Central Section Lifeguard Headquarters, located just south of the Santa Monica Pier.
CITYWIDE — Anybody who owns or rents property in Santa Monica knows that the city by the sea is not a cheap place to live. Santa Monicans pay for the luxury of living in an iconic beach town, bounded by the sparkling Pacific Ocean on one side, and the bustling metropolis of Los Angeles on the other.
DOWNTOWN Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom will have some pretty stiff competition for the 41st District Assembly seat. Social activist Torie Osborn officially announced her bid to succeed Assemblywoman Julie Brownley Thursday, touting high-profile endorsements from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villarai
CITY HALL — Yahoo! Center’s controversial development agreement amendment to legitimize a decade of parking space leasing that city planners have declared a violation will move forward to the City Council with a host of cautionary notes from uneasy planning commissioners after their meeting Wednesda
CITYWIDE — Santa Monica landlords are cheering on a bill being considered by the California State Assembly that would allow them to restrict smoking in rentals, a measure which puts renters’ rights groups in the uncomfortable position of defending a deadly habit.
CITY HALL — The mix of money and politics can create a toxic brew, and local politicians are trying to pass the poisoned cup as they debate the possibility of raising campaign contribution limits for Santa Monica elections.
CITY HALL — Big Blue Bus officials revealed the first of three rounds of proposed changes to remove inefficiencies and get the system ready for the arrival of light rail and the thousands of new passengers it expects within the next three years.
