1 Vernice Hankins
From: Susan Shaughnessy <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022 11:01 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: RE: Leonora Camner
EXTERNAL
To Whom It May Concern,
I’m perplexed why there is such a concerted effort to remove Housing Commissioner Leonora Camner? From my understanding her voice is not only vital, but your actions to remove her seem like blatant censorship. I’m surprised and disappointed by the Council Members of Santa Monica.
Sincerely,
Susan Shaughnessy
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I urge the Council and Interim City Attorney Joseph Lawrence to ensure that the new amendment to the Lobbyist Ordinance includes the wording necessary to capture individuals engaging in the type of lobbying activity that Housing Commissioner Leonora Camner engages in or directs in her role as the paid Executive Director of the WIMBY (Wall Street In My Backyard) organization Abundant Housing LA.
From Abundant Housing LA’s weekly newsletter dated May 31, 2021:
"AHLA, in conjunction with other YIMBY groups across the state, is excited to invite you to YIMBY Lobby Week 2021 on June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. What started as a one-day in-person event in Sacramento has since grown into a statewide, 3-day movement-building extravaganza, with YIMBY activists from across California lobbying their legislators to pass pro-housing legislation that can help California’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. If you’re ready to make your voice heard in Sacramento and advocate for a housing-first legislative agenda, be sure to RSVP today for Virtual Lobby Week 2021!
Can’t make it to 3 straight days of meetings with legislators? No worries! At Virtual Lobby Week 2021, you won’t need to block off your entire day — between trainings, lobbying meetings, and keynotes, we’ll only need you between 8:30 AM and 1 PM. Also, most individuals won’t have meetings on all three days. We’ll also be hosting training sessions in late May and early June to help prepare you for your meetings with key State Legislators. Sounds like fun? Then don’t miss out on a chance to RSVP today for Virtual Lobby Week 2021.
We’ll be sharing more information about the schedule in the coming weeks, but be sure to register today to save your spot!"
Public Comment item 7B – Lobbyist Ordinance Amendment – 3/8/22 Santa Monica City Council 1 Item 7.B
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Regards,
Olga Zurawska
Public Comment item 7B – Lobbyist Ordinance Amendment – 3/8/22 Santa Monica City Council 2 Item 7.B
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: [email protected]
Sent: Sunday, March 6, 2022 11:23 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Sue Himmelrich; David White; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Counci 3/8/22 item 7-B -- Lobbying ordinance -- SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
March 6, 2022
To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members
From: Zina Josephs
RE: 3/8/22 agenda item 7-B: Define “lobbying activity” and prohibit paid lobbyists from serving on City Boards, Commissions, Task Forces, and Advisory Boards
I support agenda item 7-B and urge the City Council to ensure that the new amendment to the Lobbyist Ordinance includes the wording necessary to capture individuals engaging in the type of lobbying activity that Housing Commissioner Leonora Camner engages in her role as the paid Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA.
For example, Ms. Camner uses her title as a Council-appointed Santa Monica Housing Commissioner to lend herself credibility in her advocacy activities. And, she also uses her position as Executive Director of AHLA to work with other YIMBY organizations to urge state legislators, SCAG, and HCD to make decisions that negatively impact the City of Santa Monica.
In the Sunset Park neighborhood, we are now faced with the huge Gelson's Teardown Project at Lincoln & Ocean Park Blvd., thanks to out-sized state density bonuses supported by organizations like Abundant Housing LA. Those density bonuses are rewarding 53 affordable apartments with 173 additional market-rate apartments, for a total of 521 apartments in 10 tenement-like 5-story buildings jammed into the Gelson's property. 1) From Abundant Housing LA’s weekly newsletter dated May 31, 2021:
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2 "AHLA, in conjunction with other YIMBY groups across the state, is excited to invite you to YIMBY Lobby Week 2021 on June 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. What started as a one-day in-person event in Sacramento has since grown into a statewide, 3-day movement-building extravaganza, with YIMBY activists from across California lobbying their legislators to pass pro-housing legislation that can help California’s housing shortage and affordability crisis. If you’re ready to make your voice heard in Sacramento and advocate for a housing-first legislative agenda, be sure to RSVP today for Virtual Lobby Week 2021!
Can’t make it to 3 straight days of meetings with legislators? No worries! At Virtual Lobby Week 2021, you won’t need to block off your entire day — between trainings, lobbying meetings, and keynotes, we’ll only need you between 8:30 AM and 1 PM. Also, most individuals won’t have meetings on all three days. We’ll also be hosting training sessions in late May and early June to help prepare you for your meetings with key State Legislators. Sounds like fun? Then don’t miss out on a chance to RSVP today for Virtual Lobby Week 2021. We’ll be sharing more information about the schedule in the coming weeks, but be sure to register today to save your spot!"
2) Who is required to register as a City of Santa Monica lobbyist? Individuals who receive economic consideration as the employee, representative or contract of a person or entity, other than the City of Santa Monica. Some examples of those that should register include:
Executive Director or Head Fundraiser for a nonprofit group 3) Do I have to register if I speak at a Council or Commission meeting? No. The lobbyist regulations do not apply when lobbying at public meetings. You do not have to register for addressing the Council or a commission. But, if you have met with an official outside of the meeting and are paid to influence their decision, you must register as a lobbyist. Ms. Camner, for example, spoke with City Councilmember Brock during her recent event at Tongva Park. 4) Abundant Housing LA
https://abundanthousingla.org/about-ahla
Leonora Camner, Executive Director
Leonora leads the organization day to day, building greater support for the growing network of AHLA volunteers who help us support housing. In addition to being a YIMBY, Leonora is a believer in RHNA, the housing element process, and the need to create funding for housing subsidies. She is currently serving on the Santa Monica Housing Commission.
5) “Announcing Our Own Abundant Housing LA PAC”
11/16/21 – AHLA Blog
https://abundanthousingla.org/announcing-our-own-ahla-pac/ “Abundant Housing LA is thrilled to announce the formation of our very own Political Action Committee, commonly known as PAC. We have come a long way since starting out as an allvolunteer organization in 2015….”
6) Opinion: “Politics as Usual” – Dan Jansenson for Sma.r.t (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow)
5/4/21 – Santa Monica Mirror
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3 https://smmirror.com/2021/05/sma-r-t-column-politics-as-usual/ “The law office specialized in personal injury and family law, among other things, but on this day one of the partners, David Bonaccorsi, was busy writing a letter to the Executive Director of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) on behalf of a Los Angeles housing advocacy organization, Abundant Housing LA.
SCAG was in the midst of calculating the number of housing units that each city in Southern California would be required to plan for and build. “AHLA,” the letter said, “urges SCAG to adopt a new allocation methodology that does not rely upon any “local input…” AHLA… agrees that the local input does not “align with the State’s goals of social equity and environmental sustainability.”” That’s how the City of Santa Monica found itself in an odd position: one of its own housing commissioners–who is also the Managing Director of Abundant Housing LA [Leonora Camner] – hired (or prompted) a lawyer to demand that the State override, in effect, the authority of her own commission, and her very own city.
Not long after the letter was sent, and under pressure from some State legislators and other housing advocacy groups, the Southern California Association of Governments changed its methodology, and Santa Monica’s housing allocation was nearly doubled within a single month, last October, from 4,829 units to 9,058, a number roughly equivalent in size to two Park LaBrea projects. The letterwriting effort showed the reach and interconnection of housing and density advocates from the State Legislature in Sacramento to local communities, and back….” 7) Letter to SCAG from attorney hired by Abundant Housing LA (very technical) that resulted in the increase in Santa Monica’s allotment from 4,829 to 9,058:
https://scag.ca.gov/sites/main/files/file-attachments/101119abundant_housing_la.pdf?1605421607 8) 8) Opinion: “Hope for a Pro-Housing Future” -- Leonora Camner 8/29/20 – Santa Monica Daily Press
https://www.smdp.com/letter-to-the-editor-hope-for-a-pro-housing-future/195952 “As a mother, I’m always planning for my children’s future. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about the city of Santa Monica, who over a period of decades have let a housing crisis grow into a housing catastrophe….Because of this growing housing deficit, I became active for the housing cause as a volunteer in 2016, and now I’m Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA, a housing outreach and advocacy organization…. How will our city prepare for climate change, when we don’t even allow the density that would make our communities more sustainable, especially when that density is in a city with access to rail transit? Fortunately, Santa Monica has been given a target of building nearly 9,000 new homes by 2029”
9) 9. Opinion: "SoCal’s new housing plan is going to make traffic and air pollution worse for everyone" -- Leonora Camner
10/25/2019 -- Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-10-25/housing-crisis-los-angeles-scag-homelessdevelopment Item 7.B
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4 “So what should Southern California’s housing distribution look like? Abundant Housing L.A. research director Anthony Dedousis, along with UCLA urban planning professor Paavo Monkkonen, recently developed a data-driven methodology to determine just that, using current population as a base and adjusted exclusively for statutory objectives like jobs/housing balance and transit accessibility.
Under this approach, Coachella would receive 1,565 units of housing while Culver City would get 5,114. Riverside would get 16,103 units, while Beverly Hills would get 7,576. Santa Monica, with its massive job base and access to rail, would get 14,155….” 10) "AHLA -- Read Our 2019 Annual Report"
12/23/19 – Abundant Housing LA blog
https://abundanthousingla.org/ahla-read-our-2019-annual-report/ "2019 was a record year for AHLA. Not only was this our first year as a funded organization with a staff member, and our first year with supporting members, but we also achieved our biggest housing victory yet!
People told us it was impossible, but because of YOUR advocacy, SCAG switched to the Coastal Plan at the last possible minute — meaning that SoCal cities MUST plan for over 1.3 MILLION units of housing in high-cost locations near jobs and transit.” 11) Housing Commissioner Camner's hand-out for the 12/19/19 Housing Commission agenda item 4- B on pages 12 to 95:
https://www.smgov.net/uploadedFiles/Departments/HED/Housing_and_Redevelopment/Housing/Housi ng_Commission_Agendas/2019/2019_12_19HousingCommissionAgendaPacket.pdf Item 7.B
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Stephen Pettinato <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, March 6, 2022 3:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: VOTE NO re: 7B
EXTERNAL
Hi,
As a concerned resident of Santa Monica I urge the city council to keep Leonora Camner on the Santa Monica City Housing Commission.
We need more housing and she is focused on that goal.
Thank you,
Stephen Pettinato
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Peter Altschuler <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 6, 2022 4:50 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Sue Himmelrich; David White; [email protected] Subject: Item 7-B deserves...
EXTERNAL
… approval. It will prevent people with business before the City from serving in any capacity that will allow them to influence the City’s deliberations.
The obvious case in point is Leonora Camner. The woman serves two masters, and she can’t work on behalf of her outside housing ventures without creating a blatant conflict of interest when rendering decisions as a Santa Monica Housing Commissioner.
This is particularly important today as the City faces State‐imposed housing construction mandates. Those State demands were made without local input or coordination, appear (in practice) to subvert the City’s rights and assign them to developers (who, of course, contribute to State legislators’ campaigns), and do not reflect the purported goal of creating affordable housing.
Of all the new housing projects being proposed in Santa Monica, the number of affordable units is at the minimum level.
Yet that minimum is allowing developers to claim density bonuses that let them vastly increase the number of units they can build (and the heights of the buildings themselves) while pricing that housing at “market rates.” That will not help house the people who need an affordable residence.
Ms. Camner has made it clear that she supports a sort of “build, baby, build” mentality that ignores the desires of Santa Monica residents, the quality of life that makes Santa Monica Santa Monica, and the long‐term impact on the City budget (since State law does not include local funding) to provide services for thousands of new households.
I urge you in the strongest terms to approve 7‐B and prevent business interests from holding positions in City government that demand non‐partisan appraisal.
p
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Elena Christopoulos <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022 11:59 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: 7B - oppose
EXTERNAL
Dear Santa Monica City Council,
We strongly oppose Item 7B, the “new” broad definition of lobbying proposed by City Council as well as the removal of Housing Commissioner, Leonora Camner.
This is the second attempt of the removal of Ms. Camner. She has done nothing wrong. The City Attorney has found no conflict of interest and has said as much numerous times. So, why is this item back on the agenda? She may have different views of housing solutions but that gives no on the right to remove her. We are wasting our taxpayer dollars on this item when we should be focusing on a compliant housing element for HCD.
As for the new proposed lobbying definition, we are entering a dangerous zone. So, should landlords not be allowed on city council? Architects not on planning commissions? Real estate agents not on landmarks? Planned Parenthood or ACLU members not able to participate on any city commissions? Where does this end? We have some first amendment questions.
For all of these reasons, we urge you to vote No on Item 7B.
Sincerely,
Elena Christopoulos
Richard Brand, AIA Landmarks Commissioner
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Hank Koning <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022 1:37 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Agenda Item 7B Lobbyist ordinance amendments
EXTERNAL
Mayor, Council Members
I am concerned that the proposed amendments will seriously limit having persons with expertise on the City's Boards and Commissions and Task Forces.
I also have a number of questions as to what is considered Lobbying that would be great to have answered in a FAQ:
I have made many comments over the years to the proposed ZO revisions. I am not being paid to do that but obviously the intent is to make the ZO friendlier to housing production, which in turns, helps Architects, including myself, in getting housing projects approved.
Is that considered “Lobbying”?
I often meet with the Planning Director in the early stages of a project, as a courtesy, to inform them of an upcoming community meeting and/or application. This Is not to influence a decision but rather inform them about the project so they can have information necessary for responding to questions by community members or others.
Is that considered “Lobbying”?
I often meet with members of the ARB ahead of an ARB hearing to more fully explain the project design and address any questions they may have. This Is not to influence a decision but rather to provide them with greater information and clarify the design. Typically ARB presentations are limited to 3 minutes whether a simple signface revision or a major housing project.
Is that considered “Lobbying”?
Architects often meet with City Building Officials, the Fire Chief, RRR folks, Plan checkers, Mobility Department, Public Works to review requirements and often to present alternative means of compliance as allowed in manty codes. And yes, we are trying to influence their decision to allow alternative means.
Is that considered “Lobbying”?
If so then most Architects who are residents of and practice in Santa Monica would be excluded from serving on any Commissions, Boards or Task Force in the City. The Planning Commission and the Architectural Review Board has greatly benefitted over the years by having currently practicing Santa Monica Architects as members,
Thank you for your consideration.
Hank Koning FAIA LFRAIA LEED A.P. Founding Principal
RAIA 2019 Gold Medalist
KoningEizenberg| 1454 25th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Item 7.B
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2 310 828 6131 x111 www.kearch.com
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Kathy Knight <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, March 7, 2022 2:26 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Sue Himmelrich; [email protected]; Santa Monica City Manager's Office Subject: City Council 3/8/22 Item 7-B Lobbying Ordinance - SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
March 7, 2022
To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council Members
From: Kathy Knight, Sunset Park Resident [email protected] RE: 3/8/22 agenda item 7‐B: Define “lobbying activity”. And prohibit paid lobbyists from serving on City Boards, Commissions, Task Forces, and Advisory Boards
I support Agenda Item 7‐B and urge the City Council to make sure that the new amendment to the Lobbyist Ordinance includes wording necessary to include individuals engaging in the type of lobbying activity that Housing Commissioner Leonora Camner engages in her role as the paid Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA.
I support the letter from Friends of Sunset Park detailing many examples in which Ms. Camner has engaged in mixing her paid position with advocating for much more development than our City can tolerate.
My wonderful Sunset Park community is about to be destroyed by a GIGANTIC development that will DESTROY our wonderful community shopping center of Gelson’s, and replace it with 550 apartments with 53 affordable and the rest market rate. The Developer can do this with just Administrative approval! No hearing at our Planning Commission or City Council!
We need to stand up to take back our control of development by citizens of California and Santa Monica, and stop the destruction of our residential areas by wealthy developers lobbying for the change of laws that take our control away.
Thank you and please pass Item 7‐B. It is a step in the right direction.
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From: Louis Ssutu <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 12:24 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Sue Himmelrich; [email protected]; Santa Monica City Manager's Office Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: Re: City Council 3/8/22 item 7-B -- Lobbying ordinance -- SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
To: Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members
RE: 3/8/22 agenda item 7-B: Define “lobbying activity” and prohibit paid lobbyists from serving on City Boards, Commissions, Task Forces, and Advisory Boards
I support agenda item 7-B and urge the City Council to ensure that the new amendment to the Lobbyist Ordinance includes the wording necessary to capture individuals engaging in the type of lobbying activity that Housing Commissioner Leonora Camner engages in her role as the paid Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA.
This obvious conflict of interest is clearly detrimental to your constituents who voted you into office trusting you to safeguard their interests. It must be stopped NOW! Thank you for your concern and consideration.
Sincerely,
Louis Ssutu
Resident of Ocean Park
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From: Joe Antognini <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 1:30 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Agenda item 7B
EXTERNAL
Dear councilmembers,
The proposed change to Santa Monica's lobbying ordinance is overbroad and will have a chilling effect on ordinary, legitimate political activity in the City. I want to highlight in particular issues with Clause C of the proposed text. This includes as Lobbying Activity "attempting to influence the position of any third party on City legislation or an issue related to City legislation by any means...." This is an extremely broad set of activities and the text is not at all clear how strong the nexus must be between compensation and Lobbying Activity for an individual to be considered a lobbyist.
Under this text, a citizen who writes an op-ed in a local newspaper about homelessness is engaging in Lobbying Activity as this is an issue which is related to City legislation. If that citizen is a journalist employed by the newspaper does this then make them a lobbyist? Would a professor in an urban planning department who writes academic papers about housing be forbidden from serving on the Library Board? In a free society, regulations around speech --- above all political speech --- must be approached exceedingly carefully. This legislation is anything but careful. I urge the City Council to reject this ordinance.
Joe Antognini
2677 Centinela Ave, Unit 203
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1 Vernice Hankins
From: Karen Croner <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 1:58 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Lobbyists
EXTERNAL
I am writing to strongly support the elimination of anyone who works in any capacity as a lobbyist ‐ whether they are willing to define themselves that way or not ‐ from holding any position in the SM City government ‐ including planning and housing.
I believe we currently have a lobbyist on the housing commission and planning commission.
As per law, they must be terminated. Thank you.
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From: Jaleh MIRHASHEMI <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 2:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Kristin McCowan; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; Sue Himmelrich; [email protected]; Santa Monica City Manager's Office Subject: City Counci 3/8/22 item 7-B -- Lobbying ordinance -- SUPPORT
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Himmelrich and City Council members,
I support agenda item 7-B and urge the City Council to ensure that the new amendment to the Lobbyist Ordinance includes the wording necessary to capture individuals engaging in the type of lobbying activity that Housing Commissioner Leonora Camner engages in her role as the paid Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA. This is a clear conflict of interest as a paid lobbyist and serving on city commissions.
I appreciate your consideration.
Warmly,
Jaleh Mirhashemi
21 Years SM Resident
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From: Graham Rigby <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 4:07 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 7(B): OPPOSE (3/8/22)
EXTERNAL
Dear members of the City Council,
I am writing to strongly urge a no vote on Item 7(B) on your agenda for tonight.
Leonora Camner is an extraordinarily dedicated and talented member of the Housing Commission who knows these issues inside and out. She is literally an affordable housing advocate. She is one of the strongest voices that renters like myself have on the commission. Removing her from the Housing Commission would be a surefire way to make this city's housing affordability crisis worse than it already is.
I can only conclude that this is a wrongheaded political hatchet‐job being perpetrated by a few Councilmembers who are strongly opposed to making housing in our city affordable, but won't admit it in public.
Please vote no on Item 7(B).
Thank you,
~Graham
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From: Adam Buchbinder <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 8, 2022 4:53 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Public Comment, March 8, 2020, Item 7.B.
EXTERNAL
I urge the City Council to reject the expansion of the city's definition of "lobbying". This is, again, an attempt to unseat Ms. Leonora Camner from the city's Housing Commission. I'll repeat what I said at the last attempt, on February 22:
This appears to be an act of retaliation: Santa Monica's Housing Element was recently rejected by the state, and Ms. Camner is the Executive Director of Abundant Housing LA, which commented on that Housing Element. This would produce a problematic chilling effect: I'm a lead with my local pro‐housing group and I'm on my local Planning Commission. Does the Santa Monica City Council believe that to be disqualifying? Is the intent to discourage anyone with pro‐housing beliefs from getting involved? This is not only petty and craven, it misses the point. Ms. Camner is not the cause of Santa Monica's woes.
Indeed, she's put a great deal of time and effort into addressing those problems. She's telling you that Santa Monica has done a very poor job on housing, and trying to improve matters. Firing her is shooting the messenger.
If the City Council is unhappy about HCD's ruling, they have only their own decisions to blame. I understand that this year's Housing Element is particularly rigorous‐‐my own city is going through the same process. I understand the desire to blame the people who pointed out your shortcomings. But if the city is going to succeed, it must focus its attention on its actual problems, not the people pointing out those problems.
Ms. Camner has done nothing wrong. She has done everything she can to help the people and the city of Santa Monica.
If anything, the attempt to expand the city's definition of lobbying such that it will include Ms. Camner without specifically naming her reaches new heights of twisted cowardice. This has nothing to do with fear of conflicted interest (the City Attorney has delivered an opinion on that already); this is born entirely of opposition to Ms. Camner's pro‐ housing stance.
Just because you disagree with someone, it doesn't mean they have a conflict of interest. Just because someone regularly petitions the state government, that doesn't mean they can't fairly perform the quasi‐legislative or quasi‐ judicial functions of a local body.
Ms. Camner, unlike many of those who oppose her presence on the Housing Commission, does not profit from the housing shortage. She only profits from development by having more neighbors and a more livable Santa Monica.
Please vote against this item. Thank you for your time.
Adam Buchbinder
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