Boards, Commissions &
Task Force
Review
January 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Overview of Comprehensive Review
• Last comprehensive review was conducted in 2020-2021
• Tasked the City Clerk’s Office with conducting a comprehensive five-year review of boards and commission (not in election years).
• The review explores opportunities to reorganize and consolidate functions across various bodies that streamline and reduce duplication.
• Over the last few months, Clerk staff have met with: Chairs & Vice Chairs, Staff Liaisons, Department Heads, and Councilmembers to gather feedback and develop the following recommendations to Council.
• Many opportunities were identified for internal processes from onboarding, clarification of roles and responsibilities to increasing Supporting Department oversight.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Overview of Appointed Bodies
Boards & Commissions (14) • Airport Commission
• Architectural Review Board
• Arts Commission
• Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission
• Commission on Sustainability, Environmental
Justice, and the Environment • Disabilities Commission
• Housing Commission
• Human Services Commission
• Landmarks Commission
• Library Board
• Personnel Board
• Planning Commission
• Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission New
• Recreation and Parks Commission
Task Forces (1) • Urban Forest Task Force
Special City Boards (6) • Audit Subcommittee
• Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax Citizens
Oversight Committee
• Housing Authority Board New
• Measure GS Resident Oversight Committee New
• Transient Occupancy Tax Advisory Committee New
• Transit Security Advisory Committee New
Boards of Non-Profit Agencies (3) • Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. • Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, Inc. • Santa Monica Pier Corporation District Boards (2) • L.A. County West Vector
Control District • Metropolitan Water
District
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Overview of Appointed Bodies
Boards & Commissions (14) • Airport Commission
• Architectural Review Board
• Arts Commission
• Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission
• Commission on Sustainability, Environmental
Justice, and the Environment • Disabilities Commission
• Housing Commission
• Human Services Commission
• Landmarks Commission
• Library Board
• Personnel Board
• Planning Commission
• Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission New
• Recreation and Parks Commission
Task Forces (1) • Urban Forest Task Force
Special City Boards (6) • Audit Subcommittee
• Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax Citizens
Oversight Committee
• Housing Authority Board New
• Measure GS Resident Oversight Committee New
• Transient Occupancy Tax Advisory Committee New
• Transit Security Advisory Committee New
Boards of Non-Profit Agencies (3) • Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. • Santa Monica Travel and Tourism, Inc. • Santa Monica Pier Corporation District Boards (2) • L.A. County West Vector
Control District • Metropolitan Water
District
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Overview of Appointed Bodies
Boards & Commissions (14) • Airport Commission
• Architectural Review Board
• Arts Commission
• Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission
• Commission on Sustainability, Environmental
Justice, and the Environment • Disabilities Commission
• Housing Commission
• Human Services Commission
• Landmarks Commission
• Library Board
• Personnel Board
• Planning Commission
• Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission New
• Recreation and Parks Commission
Task Forces (1) • Urban Forest Task Force
Special City Boards (5) • Audit Subcommittee
• Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax Citizens
Oversight Committee
• Measure GS Resident Oversight Committee New
• Transient Occupancy Tax Advisory Committee New
• Transit Security Advisory Committee New
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Consolidations
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Council Audit Subcommittee
• Advisory Subcommittee to City Council, supported by Finance Department. • Invite the Transient Occupancy Tax Advisory Committee for a joint annual meeting to present recommendations on Measure CS funds. • Meeting Schedule: Quarterly (Feb, May, Aug, Nov).
• Provides an opportunity for both bodies to learn about each other's work and would streamline meeting support for Finance staff.
Transient Occupancy Tax Advisory Committee
• Advisory body supported by Finance Department.
• Meeting Schedule: Annually between February – May
• Propose committee remains as is.
The joint annual meeting will be scheduled within the regular quarterly meeting cycle, in the month of February or May.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax Citizens Oversight Committee • Advisory body supported by the Public Works – Engineering & Steets Division. • Hold joint quarterly meetings (2nd Wednesdays in Feb, May, Aug, Nov) with the Commission on Sustainability to provide its Measure V budget and project status reports.
• Provides an opportunities for two bodies that share environmental goals, including water quality and pollution prevention, streamlining meeting support for staff. • Propose committee remains as is.
Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment • Advisory body supported by the Office of Sustainability & Environment now in the City Manager’s Office.
• Meeting Schedule: Monthly on 3rd Mondays.
• Propose commission remains as is.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Disabilities Commission, Housing Commission and Human Services Commission
• Advisory bodies supported by Housing and Human Services Department. • Proposal to consolidate all three (3) Commissions into a single advisory body, creating a new unified Housing and Human Services Commission dedicated to discussing and considering the diverse and intersecting issues impacting underserved Santa Monicans.
• Membership will consist of seven (7) members, existing members of the three commissions who wish to continue serving are encouraged to apply. • Meetings will follow a monthly meeting schedule.
• Workplans will be consolidated to align with Department’s work.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Modification to
Composition of
Commissions
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
• Advisory body supported by the Office of Equity and Inclusion. • Modify membership seats from 12 to (7) seven (plus 1 ex-officio member). • Increase age limit to its youth seats from 22 to 25 years old. - Changes will address challenges in retaining interested youth that otherwise age out of eligibility and provide flexibility in recruitment. • Modify resident criteria to live or work in Santa Monica.
Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission
Proposed modifications in membership seats will align with the structure of other boards and commissions, ensure quorum and supermajority voting requirements, and enable the Staff Liaison to dedicate more time to each member.
Arts Commission
• Advisory body to the Recreation and Arts Department.
• Change of membership from (9) nine to (7) seven.
• There are currently two vacancies, both seats will be dissolved.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Landmarks Commission
• Quasi-judicial body to the Community Development Department. • Remove resident eligibility criteria for five (5) members; retain the residency criteria for one (1) member serving in the local historian and real estate seat. • Changing the resident criteria will provide flexibility in recruitment, while ensuring that seats requiring specialized knowledge of Santa Monica’s history remains filled by a local resident.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Task Force
Conversion
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Urban Forest Task Force
• Advisory body supported by the Public Works Department. • Change from a task force to a formal commission.
• Adopt same term and terms limits as other commissions. • No changes to current meeting schedule (bi-monthly).
• Remove special certifications for membership to improve and broaden recruitment.
• Staff feel the UFTF is a valuable community partner and members are engaged; provides support by reviewing and making recommendations to the Public Works Department regarding public tree removal appeals by developers.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Updates to
Policies and
Procedures
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Policy and Procedure Recommendations
• Amend process for making appointments. • Extend invitation to applicants to speak about their qualifications (public comment) at a Council meeting.
• Reduce number of years a member must wait before serving in the same body from four (4) years to one (1) year.
• Formally remove the annual Boards and Commissions Dinner and continue the submittal of annual Evaluation and Workplans to Council by Information Item. • Clarify parameters for unexcused absences and streamline removal process. • Align timeframe for submitting attendance reports with Annual Appointments. • Formally remove Council Liaisons.
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Snapshot: Staff time and Cost
Total Staff
Cost/Year
Total Staff
Hours/Year
Avg Hours/
Meeting
Meetings
/ Year Board/Commission Department Staffing/Attend Meetings 11 2 650 $67,270
Staff Assist. III
Facilities Asset & Airport Mgr
COO/Airport Director
Public Works Director
Deputy City Attorney IV
Airport Commission Public Works
12 3 284 $22,295
Staff Assist. III
Cultural Affairs Manager
Allison Ostrovsky
Cultural Affairs Supervisor
Arts Commission Recreation and Arts
4 3 82 $8,267
Secretary/Asst Dir of Rec & Elect
Executive Admin Asst
Pr Admin Analyst
Deputy City Attorney IV
Audit Subcommittee Finance
4 2 124 $12,260
Administrative Analyst
Pr Engineer
Clean Beaches & Ocean Public Works
10 3 160 $13,863
Project Support Asst
Chief Sustainability Officer
Commission on Sustainability, City Manager’s Office
Environmental Justice, and the
Environment
12 3 202 $10,227
Housing & Human Staff Assistant III
Services
Disabilities Commission
12 3 264 $16,367
Staff Assistant III
Housing Manager
Housing & Human
Services
Housing Commission
Boards, Commissions & Task Force: Advisory
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Snapshot: Staff time and Cost
Total Staff
Cost/Year
Total Staff
Hours/Year
Avg Hours/
Meeting
Meetings/
Year
Board/Commission Department Staffing/Attend Meetings
5 2 119 $7,521
Staff Assistant III
Human Services Manager
Sr Analyst
Homeless & Intervention Mgr
Housing & Human
Services
Human Services Commission
12 3 312 $20,888
Staff Assistant III
Housing Manager
Housing & Human
Services
Measure GS Resident Oversight
Committee
20 3 520 $64,512
Equity & Inclusion Manager
Assistant City Attorney City Manager’s Office Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission
12 3 258 $24,140
Staff Assistant III
Community Rec Manager
Recreation & Arts Director
Recreation & Arts Recreation and Parks Commission
12 2 357 $29,197
Executive Admin Asst
Library Director
Library Santa Monica Library Board
2 3 69 $7,085
Secretary/Deputy City Clerk
Executive Admin Asst
Pr Admin Analyst
Finance Director
Deputy City Attorney IV
Finance Transient Occupancy Tax Advisory
4 2 76 $6,190
Staff Assistant III
Transit Safety and Training Mgr Transportation Transit Security Advisory Committee 6 2 173 $11,519
Staff Assistant III
Public Landscape Manager
Urban Forest Coordinator
Urban Forest Supervisor
Urban Forest Task Force Public Works
Boards, Commissions & Task Force: Advisory
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Snapshot: Staff time and Cost
Total Staff
Cost/Year
Total Staff
Hours/Year
Avg Hours/
Meeting
Meetings/
Year
Staffing/Attend
Meetings
Board/Commission Department
12 2 376 $30,481
Staff Assist. III
Sr Planner
Design/Historic Preservation
Planner
Community Development Architectural Review Board
4 2 202 $17,302
Staff Assist. III
Sr Admin Analyst
Fire Marshall
Building/Safety Build Officer
Deputy City Attorney IV
Asst Building Official
Inspection Supervisor
Community Development Building and Fire-Life Safety
Commission
12 3 2880 $255,089
Staff Assistant III
Design/Historic Prsv Planner
Sr Planner
Planning Manager
Deputy City Attorney IV
Community Development
Landmarks Commission
12 1 268 $10,909
Executive Admin. Asst
HR Director
Deputy Attorney IV
Human Resources Personnel Board
24 4 824 $51,431
Staff Assistant III
Planning Manager
City Attorney
Planning Commission* Community Development
*Due to the nature of the work of the Planning Commission, and it being deeply integrated and overlapping into the day-to-day responsibilities of staff in the Planning Department, it was difficult to provide a more accurate estimated time.
Boards and Commissions: Regulatory/Quasi-Judicial
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026
Item 7-A
January 13, 2026