1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity Recreation and Parks Commission
Monday, March 10, 2025
Mayor and City Council Members
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Homeless Strategic Plan
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, Ms. Polachek, and Esteemed Councilmembers:
With the Homelessness Strategic Plan pending before Council, the Recreation and Parks Commission notes that it received its first and only presentation on the HSP during its regularly scheduled meeting in December.
Seeing now the final draft presented to Council, we see that in the 20-page document, the only recommendation related to our heavily impacted parks is for “activation” (contingent upon funding).
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity First and foremost, we ask that Council and Staff prioritize specific language for enforcement of existing laws and increased patrols in our Parks and Public Spaces, notably in Objective 2 and Objective 4.
Intermittent activation without continual enforcement action will keep us in our current cycle open-air drug use, anti-social behavior and flagrant disregard for health and sanitation.
Additionally, we’d like to make the following practical recommendations:
1. The Commission believes it would be prudent for Council to delay a final vote on the HSP until AFTER a new City Manager is hired. The Plan has been in the works for more than a year and was launched by former City Manager David White in response to an audit done a few years ago. Given the HSP’s importance as the framework for how the city responds to homelessness going forward, the Commission believes our next City Manager should have a direct and active role in the Plan, since they will ultimately be responsible for its implementation.
2. The Commission also believes the Council, with four new members, should be allowed more time to adequately absorb the many aspects of the HSP as well as the many city programs already in place. This Council deserves the opportunity to provide meaningful input.
3. The Commission also noted that the Annual Homeless Count was delayed due to the fires and only recently completed. We recommend the HSP not be voted on until after the city gets the final numbers for 2025, a few weeks from now. The 2023 and 2024 count had documented issues that raised questions about its overall accuracy. It’s prudent to delay a vote until the latest results are known, as they could identify important changes that might be needed.
4. The Commission also hopes the Council will bolster the HSP by ensuring its final version is an ACTION document that contains specific targets to gauge future progress. It should also highlight the funding challenges that must be addressed for any workable strategic plan to succeed.
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity
5. Finally, we believe city staff could and should have included the Commission much earlier in the HSP process, rather than wait until the document was all but completed, especially since homelessness issues are so prevalent in our parks.
The Commission recognizes the HSP’s importance and appreciates all the work by Council, City Directors and staff, and looks forward to helping the Council reduce homelessness in our city.
Sincerely,
City Recreation and Parks Commission
Steven Johnson, Chair
Maryanne LaGuardia, Vice Chair
Lori Brown
John C. Smith
Ann K. Bowman
Barry Rosenbaum
Open position
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 5:24 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Dan Hall
Cc: Elaine Polachek; Susan Cline; Christopher J. Smith; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola; Heather Averick; Armine Chaparyan; Ramon Batista; Matthew Hallock; Erika Aklufi; Steven Johnson; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Lori Brown; Barry Rosenbaum Subject: Re: URGENT!! - March 11, 2025 City Council Meting - Item 11.A. - Homelessness Strategic Plan, Salary Resolution, Division Reorganization - OPPOSE
EXTERNAL
P.S. Let Los Angeles' mistakes be a cautionary tale for Santa Monica and make sure we impeccable in our reviews/audits of spending, tracking every penny spent, and evaluating the effectiveness of that spending in terms of people moved off the streets and on to better lives. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-03-06/court-ordered-audit-finds-flaws-in-l-a-cityshomeless-services Homeless services provided by the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority are disjointed and lack adequate data systems and financial controls to monitor contracts for compliance and performance, leaving the system vulnerable to waste and fraud, an audit ordered by a federal judge has concluded.
The audit by the global consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal found that the city was unable to track exactly how much it spent on homeless programs and did not rigorously reconcile spending with services provided, making it impossible to judge how well the services worked or whether they were even provided.
Contracts written by LAHSA were vague, allowing wide variations in the services provided and their cost, it said.
On Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 05:15:53 PM PDT, Ann Hoover <[email protected]> wrote:
OPPOSE EVERYTHING CONTAINED IN THIS ITEM (for now, see why below) Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Esteemed Councilmembers - Please press pause on every aspect of this Agenda Item until (A) a new City Manager has been hired and has onboarded, plus (B) at minimum, require these requests be subject to the City's overall budgeting review process this Spring.
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
2 Why are funding and salary increases for this division being pushed through in advance of Budgeting?
This is very unfair to all of the other departments and divisions that may be entitled to consideration during the budgeting process.
Did we not hear on Saturday that the City faces financial challenges for the next few years requiring infusions from reserves?
Why is this category getting special treatment (a service area which is actually failing, if you measure by visible homelessness in our City)?
If this City function was actually successful, shouldn't visibility decrease? Shouldn't the need for funds actually be going down year over year, especially if we can get a better handle on inflow of transient population?
The City already spends $50 MILLION dollars (7% of our Annual Budget) on homelessness services for a population that HHS will confirm for you is transient and not home grown.
I would not recommend spending a DIME more in this category until there's been a thorough review of existing programs and services to find out what is working and what's not, where we're getting bang for our buck and where we're not.
Regarding the "Budget Survey" that was promulgated a few weeks ago, yes people said one of their main concerns is Homelessness, however I recommend you be very, very cautions about concluding that respondents want you simply to dump more money into the Homelessness Services spending category.
Rather I think they are saying they want to know things are actually working and that people are being helped off the streets and into services and the measure for that for the public at large will be a DECREASE IN VISIBILITY - fewer homeless on our streets, in our parks and other public spaces, fewer people hassling regular folks as they go about their business, and, yes, less open drug and alcohol use, and less transient-generated crime.
Let's for once do the thorough evaluation first and THEN adopt an HSP that is responsive to that review data please. And let's, in fairness to all of the other worthy City programs and services, wait and have this function proceed through the budgeting process just like every other department will this Spring.
Please don't dump more money into a hole whose depth Staff has not effectively measured for you, where you have no idea whether or not it's in fact just a bottomless pit.
Sincerely,
Ann Bowman
Resident, 28+ years
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
3 David Yakobson
From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 5:16 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Natalya Zernitskaya; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Dan Hall
Cc: Elaine Polachek; Susan Cline; Christopher J. Smith; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola; Heather Averick; Armine Chaparyan; Ramon Batista; Matthew Hallock; Erika Aklufi; Steven Johnson; Maryanne LaGuardia; John Smith; Lori Brown; Barry Rosenbaum Subject: URGENT!! - March 11, 2025 City Council Meting - Item 11.A. - Homelessness Strategic Plan, Salary Resolution, Division Reorganization - OPPOSE
EXTERNAL
OPPOSE EVERYTHING CONTAINED IN THIS ITEM (for now, see why below) Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, and Esteemed Councilmembers - Please press pause on every aspect of this Agenda Item until (A) a new City Manager has been hired and has onboarded, plus (B) at minimum, require these requests be subject to the City's overall budgeting review process this Spring.
Why are funding and salary increases for this division being pushed through in advance of Budgeting?
This is very unfair to all of the other departments and divisions that may be entitled to consideration during the budgeting process.
Did we not hear on Saturday that the City faces financial challenges for the next few years requiring infusions from reserves?
Why is this category getting special treatment (a service area which is actually failing, if you measure by visible homelessness in our City)?
If this City function was actually successful, shouldn't visibility decrease? Shouldn't the need for funds actually be going down year over year, especially if we can get a better handle on inflow of transient population?
The City already spends $50 MILLION dollars (7% of our Annual Budget) on homelessness services for a population that HHS will confirm for you is transient and not home grown.
I would not recommend spending a DIME more in this category until there's been a thorough review of existing programs and services to find out what is working and what's not, where we're getting bang for our buck and where we're not.
Regarding the "Budget Survey" that was promulgated a few weeks ago, yes people said one of their main concerns is Homelessness, however I recommend you be very, very cautions about concluding that respondents want you simply to dump more money into the Homelessness Services spending category.
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
4 Rather I think they are saying they want to know things are actually working and that people are being helped off the streets and into services and the measure for that for the public at large will be a DECREASE IN VISIBILITY - fewer homeless on our streets, in our parks and other public spaces, fewer people hassling regular folks as they go about their business, and, yes, less open drug and alcohol use, and less transient-generated crime.
Let's for once do the thorough evaluation first and THEN adopt an HSP that is responsive to that review data please. And let's, in fairness to all of the other worthy City programs and services, wait and have this function proceed through the budgeting process just like every other department will this Spring.
Please don't dump more money into a hole whose depth Staff has not effectively measured for you, where you have no idea whether or not it's in fact just a bottomless pit.
Sincerely,
Ann Bowman
Resident, 28+ years
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Peter DiChellis <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 11:43 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; pna90404 @gmail.com; [email protected]
Subject: Council Agenda ITEM 11 A
EXTERNAL
TO: City Council
COPIES: Neighborhood Organizations
Dear City Council,
City spending that attracts and sustains homeless drifters contributes to bankrupting Santa Monica both via the spending itself and by deterring visitors and business activity.
Prominent example: Two-thirds of all SMPD arrests are homeless-related. Yet the City provides more and more ways for homeless criminals to avoid accountability (Alternatives to Incarceration, STEP Court, SaMo Bridge, and, absurdly, crediting arrests toward free housing for the PSH program).
Calculate the direct and indirect costs of all that.
Meanwhile audits reveal our so-called “partner” LAHSA as a wasteful spender while 75% of LA’s Fire Department ambulance calls are homeless-related.
Is Santa Monica obtaining different results than LA?
When will Santa Monica develop a homelessness plan that actually works, instead of pursuing the same failed tactics over and over again?
Sources:
“Theft, Assaults Drove Increase in Crime Last Year,” Santa Monica Lookout, February 14, 2024. “Calls to Defund LAHSA Grow After Audit Reveals Widespread Financial Failures,” Westside Current, March 7, 2025. “Homeless Start 17,000 Fires in Los Angeles City Annually, Says LA Fire Department,” Santa Monica Observer, March 7, 2025.
Sincerely,
Peter DiChellis
Santa Monica
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
2 David Yakobson
From: John Cyrus Smith <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2025 10:12 AM
To: Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; councilmtgitems; Elaine Polachek
Subject: 3-11-25 ITEM 11.A. HOMELESS SPECIFIC PLAN
Attachments: RP LTR ON HSP RECS.pdf
EXTERNAL
I've attached the Recreation and Parks Commission recommendations letter.
It's worth your time.
Thank you.
John Cyrus Smith
[email protected]
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity Recreation and Parks Commission
Monday, March 10, 2025
Mayor and City Council Members
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Homeless Strategic Plan
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, Ms. Polachek, and Esteemed Councilmembers:
With the Homelessness Strategic Plan pending before Council, the Recreation and Parks Commission notes that it received its first and only presentation on the HSP during its regularly scheduled meeting in December.
Seeing now the final draft presented to Council, we see that in the 20-page document, the only recommendation related to our heavily impacted parks is for “activation” (contingent upon funding).
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity First and foremost, we ask that Council and Staff prioritize specific language for enforcement of existing laws and increased patrols in our Parks and Public Spaces, notably in Objective 2 and Objective 4.
Intermittent activation without continual enforcement action will keep us in our current cycle open-air drug use, anti-social behavior and flagrant disregard for health and sanitation.
Additionally, we’d like to make the following practical recommendations:
1. The Commission believes it would be prudent for Council to delay a final vote on the HSP until AFTER a new City Manager is hired. The Plan has been in the works for more than a year and was launched by former City Manager David White in response to an audit done a few years ago. Given the HSP’s importance as the framework for how the city responds to homelessness going forward, the Commission believes our next City Manager should have a direct and active role in the Plan, since they will ultimately be responsible for its implementation.
2. The Commission also believes the Council, with four new members, should be allowed more time to adequately absorb the many aspects of the HSP as well as the many city programs already in place. This Council deserves the opportunity to provide meaningful input.
3. The Commission also noted that the Annual Homeless Count was delayed due to the fires and only recently completed. We recommend the HSP not be voted on until after the city gets the final numbers for 2025, a few weeks from now. The 2023 and 2024 count had documented issues that raised questions about its overall accuracy. It’s prudent to delay a vote until the latest results are known, as they could identify important changes that might be needed.
4. The Commission also hopes the Council will bolster the HSP by ensuring its final version is an ACTION document that contains specific targets to gauge future progress. It should also highlight the funding challenges that must be addressed for any workable strategic plan to succeed.
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity
5. Finally, we believe city staff could and should have included the Commission much earlier in the HSP process, rather than wait until the document was all but completed, especially since homelessness issues are so prevalent in our parks.
The Commission recognizes the HSP’s importance and appreciates all the work by Council, City Directors and staff, and looks forward to helping the Council reduce homelessness in our city.
Sincerely,
City Recreation and Parks Commission
Steven Johnson, Chair
Maryanne LaGuardia, Vice Chair
Lori Brown
John C. Smith
Ann K. Bowman
Barry Rosenbaum
Open position
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1 David Yakobson
From: Noe Mendoza
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2025 3:48 PM
To: Council Mailbox; Lana Negrete; Caroline Torosis; Jesse Zwick; Dan Hall; Ellis Raskin; Barry Snell; Natalya Zernitskaya
Cc: Clerk Mailbox; Santa Monica City Manager's Office; Micah Akerson; Jenny Rogers; Steven Johnson; Lori Brown; John Smith; Ann Bowman; Barry Rosenbaum; Maryanne LaGuardia
Subject: Recreation and Parks Commission Letter Re: Homeless Strategic Plan Attachments: Recreation and Parks Commission Letter Re Homeless Stretegic Plan.pdf Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Flagged
Hello,
I hope that you have all had a wonderful weekend!
I have attached to this email a letter written by the Recreation and Parks Commission in regard to the Homeless Strategic Plan.
Thanks.
Noe Mendoza
Staff Assistant III
santamonica.gov
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Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity Recreation and Parks Commission
Monday, March 10, 2025
Mayor and City Council Members
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Homeless Strategic Plan
Dear Mayor Negrete, Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, Ms. Polachek, and Esteemed Councilmembers:
With the Homelessness Strategic Plan pending before Council, the Recreation and Parks Commission notes that it received its first and only presentation on the HSP during its regularly scheduled meeting in December.
Seeing now the final draft presented to Council, we see that in the 20-page document, the only recommendation related to our heavily impacted parks is for “activation” (contingent upon funding).
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity First and foremost, we ask that Council and Staff prioritize specific language for enforcement of existing laws and increased patrols in our Parks and Public Spaces, notably in Objective 2 and Objective 4.
Intermittent activation without continual enforcement action will keep us in our current cycle open-air drug use, anti-social behavior and flagrant disregard for health and sanitation.
Additionally, we’d like to make the following practical recommendations:
1. The Commission believes it would be prudent for Council to delay a final vote on the HSP until AFTER a new City Manager is hired. The Plan has been in the works for more than a year and was launched by former City Manager David White in response to an audit done a few years ago. Given the HSP’s importance as the framework for how the city responds to homelessness going forward, the Commission believes our next City Manager should have a direct and active role in the Plan, since they will ultimately be responsible for its implementation.
2. The Commission also believes the Council, with four new members, should be allowed more time to adequately absorb the many aspects of the HSP as well as the many city programs already in place. This Council deserves the opportunity to provide meaningful input.
3. The Commission also noted that the Annual Homeless Count was delayed due to the fires and only recently completed. We recommend the HSP not be voted on until after the city gets the final numbers for 2025, a few weeks from now. The 2023 and 2024 count had documented issues that raised questions about its overall accuracy. It’s prudent to delay a vote until the latest results are known, as they could identify important changes that might be needed.
4. The Commission also hopes the Council will bolster the HSP by ensuring its final version is an ACTION document that contains specific targets to gauge future progress. It should also highlight the funding challenges that must be addressed for any workable strategic plan to succeed.
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 • (310) 458-8411 • [email protected] santamonica.gov • @cityofsantamonica • @santamonicacity
5. Finally, we believe city staff could and should have included the Commission much earlier in the HSP process, rather than wait until the document was all but completed, especially since homelessness issues are so prevalent in our parks.
The Commission recognizes the HSP’s importance and appreciates all the work by Council, City Directors and staff, and looks forward to helping the Council reduce homelessness in our city.
Sincerely,
City Recreation and Parks Commission
Steven Johnson, Chair
Maryanne LaGuardia, Vice Chair
Lori Brown
John C. Smith
Ann K. Bowman
Barry Rosenbaum
Open position
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025
Item 11-A
March 11, 2025