1 July 29, 2025
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JULY 29, 2025
A special meeting of the Santa Monica City Council was called to order by Mayor Negrete at 5:35 p.m., on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA.
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Lana Negrete
Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis
Councilmember Jesse Zwick
Councilmember Dan Hall
Councilmember Ellis Raskin
Councilmember Barry Snell
Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya
Also Present: City Manager Oliver Chi
City Attorney Douglas Sloan
City Clerk Nikima S. Newsome
CONVENE On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened at 5:35 p.m., with all members present.
STATEMENT OF
ACCOUNTABILITY
(LAND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT)
The City of Santa Monica is located on the land of Tovangaar. With great respect, the City acknowledges the Gabrieleño/Tongva as the First People of this ancestral and unceded territory of Kuruvungna, a village that we know as Santa Monica. We honor their elders, past and present, and the Gabrieleño descendants who are part of the Gabrieleño /Tongva tribes.
We recognize that these peoples are still here, and as settlers and kuyam (guests), we recognize our responsibility and obligation to care for their land in partnership with them. The City of Santa Monica commits to work in partnership with the Gabrieleño/Tongva people to uplift their voices and visibility on their ancestral land.
LEVINE ACT
DISCLOSURE
Pursuant to the Levine Act (Govt Code Section 84308), any party to a permit, license, contract, or other entitlement before the Council is required to disclose on the record any contribution, including aggregated contributions, of more than $500 made by the party or the party's agents within the preceding 12 months to any City official.
Participants and agents are requested to make this disclosure as well.
The disclosure must include the name of the party, participant, or agent, Docusign Envelope ID: 8EF4C2EB-FF9F-4BE3-9494-9062E5A47610 2 July 29, 2025
and any other person making the contribution; the name of the recipient, the amount of the contribution, and the date the contribution was made.
No Councilmembers recused pursuant to the Levine Act.
PUBLIC INPUT ON
REMAINING AGENDA
ITEMS:
Members of the public Juan Matute, Jerry Rubin, Denise Barton, Peter Trinh, and Ericka Lesley commented on Item 16.A.
COUNCILMEMBER
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
In accordance with Council Rule 6(y), all Councilmember Discussion items were considered and approved in one motion unless removed by a Councilmember for discussion.
DOWNTOWN SANTA
MONICA INC
16.A. Request by Councilmember Snell, with support from Mayor Pro Tem Torosis and Councilmember Hall, requesting City Council consideration of the following: (1) Remove all six of the current City Council appointed board members to the DTSM Board of Directors; and (2) Make the necessary findings that there currently exists an emergency circumstance which requires the City Council to expedite the appointment process for six new board members to DTSM, was heard.
Motion by Councilmember Snell, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Torosis, to remove all six of the Council appointed members of the DTSM Board of Directors effective immediately. The motion was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Zwick, Hall, Raskin, Snell, Zernitskaya Mayor Pro Tem Torosis
NOES: Mayor Negrete
ABSENT: None
Motion by Councilmember Snell, seconded by Councilmember Hall, to suspend the Council rules, waiving the standard appointment process of ranked-choice voting and appointing the following interim members to the DTSM Board of Directors: Jonathan Gregory, Sean Besser, Hodge Patterson, Gleam Davis, Richard Bloom, and Elaine Polachek, and authorize the City Clerk to initiate the application process to appoint new members to the vacated terms at the September 9, 2025 City Council meeting. The motion was approved by the following vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Zernitskaya, Snell, Raskin, Hall, Zwick Mayor Pro Tem Torosis
NOES: Mayor Negrete
ABSENT: None
Docusign Envelope ID: 8EF4C2EB-FF9F-4BE3-9494-9062E5A47610 3 July 29, 2025
Mayor Negrete stated for the record that she voted no because she was uncomfortable with this process.
ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor, the City Council meeting adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Nikima S. Newsome Lana Negrete
City Clerk Mayor
Docusign Envelope ID: 8EF4C2EB-FF9F-4BE3-9494-9062E5A47610