75 WE THEREFORE MOVE THAT THE COUNCIL:
76 1. Direct the City Manager and Department of Transportation to explore:
77 1.1. A program of static or flashing LED yield signs for Big Blue Bus (BBB); 78 1.2. A corresponding driver education program as required by AB 1904; 79 1.3. Determine any cross-jurisdictional barriers to implementation; 80 1.4. Provide options for budgeting in the upcoming bi-annual operating budget. 81 Options could include static stickers vs. LEDs, or prioritizing high volume 82 routes.
83 2. Direct the City Attorney to draft a resolution as required by Assembly Bill 1904 to 84 implement such yield right-of-way signage program for BBB. 85 # # #
16.I.a
Packet Pg. 913 Attachment: 20250211 16 Item - Transit Buses Yield Right of Way Signs - Hall Zernitskaya (6844 : Implementing AB 1904) 1 Edgar Sernas
From: Jacob Wasserman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2025 1:30 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Abdallah Daboussi; Anuj Gupta; Anuj Gupta; Alfredo Torales Subject: In Support: Item 16I—Speed Up Our Buses
EXTERNAL
Santa Monica City Council,
As a resident, voter, driver, transit user, and parent, I write in strong support of Item 16I. Ensuring that our buses can merge back into traffic after stopping will make transit far more reliable, safe, and usable. Installing yield signage on buses will help increase ridership, make the rides better for our existing riders (especially those who rely on transit), and improve the stressful job of bus operators.
Please pass the item and then adopt the subsequent resolution and install the signs without delay.
Thank you,
Jacob Wasserman
11th and Washington
90403
Item 16-I
February 11, 2025
Item 16-I
February 11, 2025
16.I.b
Packet Pg. 914 Attachment: Written Comments (6844 : Implementing AB 1904) City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 16.J
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Establish and appoint a temporary ad hoc Council committee for the City Manager recruitment process.
Prepared By: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk
Approved Forwarded to Council
16.J
Packet Pg. 915
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 16.K
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Request of Councilmembers Torosis, Hall and Raskin to Strengthen Tenant Protections: Moving Forward with a Rent Registry and Funding Its Implementation in the Upcoming Biennial Budget
Prepared By: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Rent Registry Implementation
B. Written Comments
16.K
Packet Pg. 916
16 Item – Prioritizing Implementation of the Rent Registry Draft 1/6/25 Request of Councilmembers Torosis, Hall and Raskin to Strengthen Tenant Protections: Moving Forward with a Rent Registry and Funding Its Implementation in the Upcoming Biennial Budget In February 2024, the City of Santa Monica took significant steps to safeguard renters by codifying its Tenant Protections Ordinance, which introduced robust measures to prevent unjust evictions, enhance tenant rights, and promote housing stability. This ordinance marked a crucial step in addressing the City’s housing challenges and demonstrated a commitment to equitable treatment for all residents.
However, the absence of a centralized rent registry has limited the City’s ability to monitor and enforce these protections effectively and to ensure that all units throughout the City remain habitable.
Moreover, in the aftermath of the Los Angeles County Fires including the Palisades Fire, Santa Monica has witnessed a surge in rental prices, with some landlords increasing rents by over 120%, despite California's anti-price gouging laws that cap rent increases at 10% during emergencies. Implementing a rent registry is crucial to monitor and enforce these protections effectively, ensuring transparency and accountability in rental pricing. Such a system would help prevent exploitative practices, safeguarding residents from unjust rent hikes during vulnerable times.
A rent registry would provide a comprehensive database of rental housing information, equipping the City with the tools necessary to track compliance, identify trends, and develop data-driven policies to protect tenants and promote housing affordability.
To build on the progress achieved last year, this motion seeks to prioritize the creation and funding of a rent registry as a cornerstone of the City’s tenant protection strategy in the upcoming 2025-2027 biennial budget.
A rent registry will protect tenants and landlords by ensuring there is uniform enforcement of existing laws, and will provide critical data around housing availability and rent increases while increasing transparency around the habitability of units.
To ensure the successful implementation of Santa Monica’s rent registry, we direct the City Manager to work with the City Attorney to take the following actions:
1. Provide options for dedicated funding for the Rent Registry by allocating resources in the 2025- 2027 biennial budget to develop, implement, and maintain the rent registry, including staffing, technology, and community outreach. These options should explain potential trade-offs included as part of funding various phases of the Rent Registry development and implementation.
2. Within 60 days, report back to Council with a proposed implementation timeline for the Rent Registry including proposed milestones for the roll-out of the Registry, inclusive of regular updates to the public on progress.
3. Within 120 days, conduct and report back on outcomes of initial stakeholder engagement to inform the design, implementation and utilization of the registry. This engagement should include landlords, tenants, and housing advocates.
16.K.a
Packet Pg. 917 Attachment: Rent Registry Implementation (6907 : Rent Registry) 1 Edgar Sernas
From: Kevin McKeown <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 7, 2025 10:10 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Comment on Item 16-K, Rent Registry
EXTERNAL
Establishment of a rent registry has been considered for many years and for many good reasons. Rental volaƟlity following the recent wildfires has made the need more urgent. Please move forward with a rent registry, as requested by Mayor pro tem Torosis and Councilmembers Hall and Raskin. I thank them for their aƩenƟon to this.
Kevin McKeown
ReƟred former Mayor
————————————
K e v I n M c K e o w n
hƩps://urldefense.com/v3/__hƩp://www.mckeown.net__;!!OfuUnHCITYtmmjM!uHS3HrowJyYYvvq_Z0tJAwwr0łGzh6_V1R918Q0hoaw1LXCEPmeSfJzEEjRlbJkdkHa7Ym_FLcEsi29IspeLjkLDU$ Choose to be conscious
————————————
Item 16-K
February 11, 2025
Item 16-K
February 11, 2025
16.K.b
Packet Pg. 918 Attachment: Written Comments (6907 : Rent Registry) City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 16.L
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Request of Councilmember Zwick, Mayor Negrete, and Mayor Pro Tem Torosis that the City Council direct the City Manager and City Attorney to expedite the issuance of Building Permits in Santa Monica without reducing building integrity and still adhering to life and safety requirements through the development of a Voluntary Self-Certification Pilot Program for non-structural commercial tenant improvements, single-family home improvements, and accessory dwelling units. The Self-Certification Program shall allow Licensed Professionals who agree to self-certify that building plans are compliant with all California codes and local ordinances to bypass the normal plan review process and get approval for permits in one to five business days, facilitating our city’s economic recovery and reducing the workload on plan check professionals, allowing them to focus on the more complex projects that require their attention. City staff shall return to City Council with recommendations for program design and implementation within six months.
Prepared By: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Written Comments
16.L
Packet Pg. 919
1 David Yakobson
From: Santa Monica Forward <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 10:25 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: SM Forward Letter -- Support Items 16L, 16M, and 16N
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Councilmembers,
Santa Monica Forward greatly appreciates the City Council’s continued attention to thoughtful and meaningful housing and building code policy updates. The housing shortage and related homelessness crisis have long been dire, but have been made much worse by the recent fires. Streamlining new infill housing permitting and production should be a top priority.
We’re writing to thank Councilmember Zwick, Mayor Negrete, and Mayor Pro Tem Torosis for tonight’s item 16L; Councilmembers Zwick and Raskin for 16M; and Councilmembers Zwick and
Zernitskaya for 16N. Forward supports these 16 items and encourages the full council to vote yes on all three.
Thank you,
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
16.L.a
Packet Pg. 920 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (6909 : Expedite Issuance of Building Permits) 2 Brad Ewing and Carl Hansen
Co-Chairs, Santa Monica Forward
--
We are working for a diverse, progressive, sustainable and equitable Santa Monica.
SantaMonicaForward.org
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
16.L.a
Packet Pg. 921 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (6909 : Expedite Issuance of Building Permits) 1 Edgar Sernas
From: Hank Koning <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, February 7, 2025 4:17 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Council 2/12/25 Agenda Item 16.L.
EXTERNAL
Item 16-L
Mayor, Council Members,
I want to applaud the Mayor and City Council for putting this item forward.
The permitting process for construction needs to be improved - it simply takes too long to get a permit, partly because the building department is short staffed. Reducing their load by allowing self certification of small projects is a good start towards a solution.
Projects that I would like to see eligible for self certification include:
Non-structural commercial interior tenant improvements. Perhaps some minor exterior changes can be included such as relocating an exterior door.
Single family home improvements, which should include additions and perhaps even include a rebuilding of a home destroyed by fire.
ADU’s including 2 story ADU’s
Some items for staff to consider:
An information bulletin needs to be available outlining the process and requirements and what sort of projects can be self certified.
To have this succeed the codes need to be unambiguous and not subject to interpretation. However we know that this is not the case. Different plan checkers interpret codes differently. Building and safety staff need to be available to to quickly answer questions that architects may have and all such interpretations rendered need to be in a database that is publicly available. That way all have this information available without taxing staff.
Similarly for all Applications for Alternative Means and Methods.
SCE clearance should not be required if the clearances required to power lines are clearly shown in the construction documents.
Title 24 Energy and CalGreen compliance should also be eligible for self certification.
And of course having self certification for building permits needs to be accompanied by self certification of any planning approvals required.
I am sure that there will be many other items that staff will need to consider in developing this pilot program and I hope they reach out to local architects and engineers to get their input.
Kind Regards
____________________
Hank Koning, FAIA, LFRAIA, LEED AP Founding Principal
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
16.L.a
Packet Pg. 922 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (6909 : Expedite Issuance of Building Permits) 2 KoningEizenberg| 1454 25th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Direct: 424 220 2733 (incl. VM and SMS texts)
www.kearch.com
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
16.L.a
Packet Pg. 923 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (6909 : Expedite Issuance of Building Permits) 1 Edgar Sernas
From: Jacob Wasserman <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, February 10, 2025 1:32 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Council Mailbox
Cc: Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Natalya Zernitskaya; Lana Negrete; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell
Subject: In Support: Item 16L
EXTERNAL
Santa Monica City Council,
Especially in the wake of the fires, I strongly support a self-certification program for building, to speed up the process and encourage housing production. I ask that it apply to as many zones and building types as is feasible safely.
Thank you,
Jacob Wasserman
11th and Washington
90403
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
Item 16-L
February 11, 2025
16.L.a
Packet Pg. 924 Attachment: Written Comments [Revision 1] (6909 : Expedite Issuance of Building Permits) City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 16.M
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Request of Councilmembers Zwick and Raskin that the City Council direct the City Manager and City Attorney to adjust the Administrative Approval criteria for housing projects within the Bergamot Area Plan (BAP) and present them for Council consideration and adoption at the April 22 meeting. Specifically, to ensure that housing projects are feasible, street and pathway requirements shall be limited to those envisioned in the BAP (p. 207) and interpreted liberally in favor of ensuring the production of new housing, their exact location shall be flexible so as to avoid bisecting parcels and limiting site feasibility, they shall be credited towards the 14% open space requirement at a ratio of 1.5:1, and subject to staff discretion for sites under 2 acres.
Prepared By: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Written Comments
16.M
Packet Pg. 925
1 David Yakobson
From: Santa Monica Forward <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 10:25 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: SM Forward Letter -- Support Items 16L, 16M, and 16N
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Councilmembers,
Santa Monica Forward greatly appreciates the City Council’s continued attention to thoughtful and meaningful housing and building code policy updates. The housing shortage and related homelessness crisis have long been dire, but have been made much worse by the recent fires. Streamlining new infill housing permitting and production should be a top priority.
We’re writing to thank Councilmember Zwick, Mayor Negrete, and Mayor Pro Tem Torosis for tonight’s item 16L; Councilmembers Zwick and Raskin for 16M; and Councilmembers Zwick and
Zernitskaya for 16N. Forward supports these 16 items and encourages the full council to vote yes on all three.
Thank you,
Item 16-M
February 11, 2025
Item 16-M
February 11, 2025
16.M.a
Packet Pg. 926 Attachment: Written Comments (6910 : Adjust the Administrative Approval criteria for housing projects within the Bergamot Area Plan (BAP)) 2 Brad Ewing and Carl Hansen
Co-Chairs, Santa Monica Forward
--
We are working for a diverse, progressive, sustainable and equitable Santa Monica.
SantaMonicaForward.org
Item 16-M
February 11, 2025
Item 16-M
February 11, 2025
16.M.a
Packet Pg. 927 Attachment: Written Comments (6910 : Adjust the Administrative Approval criteria for housing projects within the Bergamot Area Plan (BAP)) City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: February 11, 2025
Agenda Item: 16.N
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk, Records and Election Services Department Subject: Request of Councilmembers Zwick and Zernitskaya that the City Council direct the City Manager and City Attorney to prepare an ordinance granting all development, land use, or subdivision applications as allowed by applicable State law (including any such applications granted on appeal) that were approved prior to January 6, 2025 an extension of two years beyond their current expiration dates and all complete building permit applications submitted or issued prior to January 6, 2025 an extension of one year beyond their current expiration dates (including dates to start and complete work), provided that applicant attests project will comply with current code. For approved Development Agreement projects that are not yet under construction, provide an administrative pathway for the applicants to opt in to this two-year extension to the building permit issuance date as a subsequent code change that developer can elect to consent to in writing.
Prepared By: Nikima Newsome, City Clerk
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Written Comments
16.N
Packet Pg. 928
1 David Yakobson
From: Santa Monica Forward <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 10:25 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Natalya Zernitskaya; Barry Snell
Cc: councilmtgitems
Subject: SM Forward Letter -- Support Items 16L, 16M, and 16N
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Negrete and City Councilmembers,
Santa Monica Forward greatly appreciates the City Council’s continued attention to thoughtful and meaningful housing and building code policy updates. The housing shortage and related homelessness crisis have long been dire, but have been made much worse by the recent fires. Streamlining new infill housing permitting and production should be a top priority.
We’re writing to thank Councilmember Zwick, Mayor Negrete, and Mayor Pro Tem Torosis for tonight’s item 16L; Councilmembers Zwick and Raskin for 16M; and Councilmembers Zwick and
Zernitskaya for 16N. Forward supports these 16 items and encourages the full council to vote yes on all three.
Thank you,
Item 16-N
February 11, 2025
Item 16-N
February 11, 2025
16.N.a
Packet Pg. 929 Attachment: Written Comments (6911 : Two Year Extension on Building Permits) 2 Brad Ewing and Carl Hansen
Co-Chairs, Santa Monica Forward
--
We are working for a diverse, progressive, sustainable and equitable Santa Monica.
SantaMonicaForward.org
Item 16-N
February 11, 2025
Item 16-N
February 11, 2025
16.N.a
Packet Pg. 930 Attachment: Written Comments (6911 : Two Year Extension on Building Permits)