City of Santa Monica
City Council Meeting
AGENDA
CAROLINE TOROSIS
MAYOR
ELLIS RASKIN JESSE ZWICK
COUNCILMEMBER MAYOR PRO TEM
DAN HALL BARRY SNELL
COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER
LANA NEGRETE NATALYA ZERNITSKAYA
COUNCILMEMBER COUNCILMEMBER
OLIVER C. CHI
CITY MANAGER
HEIDI VON TONGELN
CITY ATTORNEY
DENISE ANDERSON-WARREN
INTERIM CITY CLERK
STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR THAT PROMOTE CIVILITY AT ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS:
• Treat everyone courteously; • Embrace respectful disagreement and dissent as democratic rights, inherent components of an inclusive
public process, and tools for forging sound decisions
• Hate has no place in Santa Monica. The City opposes
abusive or threatening hate speech, intolerance, or
dehumanization, and supports basic civil respect and
human decency.
• Listen to others respectfully;
• Exercise self-control;
• Give open-minded consideration
to all viewpoints;
• Focus on the issues and avoid
personalizing debate;
Regular meetings are broadcast live on CityTV cable channel 16 and on the internet at santamonica.gov. Cable television re-broadcasts air on Thursday and Saturday at 11:30 AM. The agenda will air on CityTV on Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 AM and 6:00 PM, and on Monday and Tuesday at 12:30 PM and 6:00 PM.
City of Santa Monica Generated: 5/11/2026 5:16 PM Page 2
RULES OF ORDER FOR THE CONDUCT OF CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS (Resolution No.11663(CCS))
WAYS TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT
If you are interested in providing public comment at a City Council meeting, there are several ways to participate:
(1) Written public comment. In lieu of oral public comment, the public is strongly encouraged to submit written public comment on agenda items via email to [email protected]. For written public comment submitted by 12:00 pm on the day of the meeting, best efforts shall be made to have them available online for viewing. Please note the agenda item number in the subject line of your written comments.
(2) Oral public comment.
- In-person: Persons wishing to address the City Council regarding items on the agenda must be present and submit their name and address (optional) to the City Clerk before the public comment section is opened for that item or before the public hearing is opened where one is required by law. Register to speak at the Speaker Kiosk prior to the meeting. - Telephone: Persons wishing to address the Council by telephone must register at santamonica.gov/public-comment no later than 5:00 p.m. the day before a meeting. Showing electronic presentation materials are not permitted when commenting by telephone.
Oral public comment from any one individual is limited to a total of 6 minutes per City Council meeting, with a maximum of 2 minutes per agenda item if speaking on multiple items. A member of the public may allocate time between items in one-minute increments up to 2 minutes and those requesting to speak on only one agendized item for the meeting may speak for up to 4 minutes on that one item. Except for noticed public hearings or quasi-judicial items, if more than 25 speakers are registered to speak during a public input section, the amount of time shall be reduced to 1 minute per speaker during that section.
Except for the author of the request, public comment on 15-items are limited to 1 minute.
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, and any other person making the contribution; the name of the recipient, the amount of the contribution, and the date the contribution was made. Information regarding the Levine Act can be found here or you can contact the FPPC.
ORDER OF BUSINESS (may not be changed except by majority vote of the City Council.)
1. General Public Input
(Members of the public may address the City Council
only on items not on the agenda, but within the
subject matter jurisdiction of the City and on Special
Agenda Items.)
2. Special Agenda Items (Commendations and
Proclamations presented).
3. Public Comment for Consent Calendar and Closed
Sessions Only.
4. Consent Calendar (All items considered in one
motion unless removed by a City Councilmember for
discussion. No public comment is permitted on
second readings.)
5. Closed Sessions.
6. Public Comment on remaining Agenda Items
7. Study Session.
8. Continued Items.
9. Administrative Proceedings.
10. Ordinances:
• 1
st Reading
• 2
nd Reading (No public comment is
permitted on second readings.)
11. Staff Administrative Item.
12. Public Hearings.
13. Reports of Boards and Commissions.
14. Resolutions.
15. Written Communications (Other than
Reports of Commission and Officers.)
16. Councilmember Discussion Items.
Agendas and reports are accessible on the City's webpage at smgov.net/council/agendas. They are also available at the City Clerk's Office and in alternate formats upon request. For a free email subscription to the City Council Agendas, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (310) 458-8211 or [email protected].
Si desea comunicarse con alguien en español, llame a nuestra oficina al (310) 458-8211 y pida hablar con Esterlina Lugo.
City of Santa Monica Generated: 5/11/2026 5:16 PM Page 3
AGENDAS
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
SPECIAL MEETING
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1685 MAIN STREET, ROOM 250,
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026
MEETING BEGINS AT 5:35 PM
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT BY TELEPHONE
Persons wishing to address the City Council by telephone must register at santamonica.gov/public-comment no later than 5:00 p.m. the day before a meeting.
Donation of time and showing electronic presentation materials are not permitted when commenting by telephone.
CALL TO ORDER
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE / LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ROLL CALL
(This is a special City Council meeting. Public comment is restricted to only items listed on the agenda.)
City of Santa Monica 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 DISCLOSURES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS / PROCEDURAL
MOTIONS
(Please note that Agenda Items may be reordered during the Council meeting at the discretion of the City Council.)
City of Santa Monica Generated: 5/11/2026 5:16 PM Page 4
1. GENERAL PUBLIC INPUT AND COMMENT ON SPECIAL AGENDA ITEMS (For regular meetings, public comment is permitted on Special Agenda Items and items not on the agenda that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City. State law prohibits the City Council from taking any action on items not listed on the agenda, including issues raised under this agenda item. For special meetings, public input is limited to scheduled Special Agenda Items only.)
. Public input under this item will not be heard at this meeting. This is a special meeting and public input is limited to agenda items only.
2. SPECIAL AGENDA ITEMS
No items
3. PUBLIC INPUT (ITEMS UNDER CONSENT CALENDAR AND CLOSED SESSION ONLY)
4. CONSENT CALENDAR
(All items will be considered and approved in one motion unless removed by a Councilmember for discussion. In accordance with Charter section 615, the adoption of all ordinances and resolutions shall be by reading of title only unless a Councilmember present dissents. No public discussion is permitted on ordinances for second reading and adoption.)
No items
5. CLOSED SESSIONS
No items
CITY MANAGER REPORT
TRAVEL ANNOUNCEMENT AND MAYOR'S HIGHLIGHT
6. PUBLIC INPUT ON REMAINING AGENDA ITEMS
. Public Input for 12-Items will be heard at the time when the Public Hearing is called.
7. STUDY SESSION
No items
8. CONTINUED ITEMS
City of Santa Monica Generated: 5/11/2026 5:16 PM Page 5 No items
9. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEEDINGS
No items
10. ORDINANCES
(Public comment is permitted on ordinances for introduction and first reading. No public discussion is permitted on ordinances for second reading and adoption. In accordance with Charter section 615, the adoption of all ordinances and resolutions shall be by reading of title only unless a Councilmember present dissents.)
No items
11. STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS
No items
12. PUBLIC HEARINGS
No items
13. REPORTS OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS
No items
14. RESOLUTIONS
No items
15. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
No items
16. COUNCILMEMBER DISCUSSION ITEMS
16.A. Request of Mayor Torosis, Councilmember Raskin and Councilmember Snell to hold a special meeting to receive a briefing on significant progress in the City of Santa Monica's (City) long-standing pursuit of a certified Local Coastal Program (LCP), to memorialize the work underway, and to provide Council direction on how to carry this progress forward
ADJOURNMENT
Agendas and reports are accessible on the City's webpage at www.smgov.net/council/agendas. They are also available at the City Clerk's Office and in alternate formats upon request. For a free email subscription to the City Council Agendas, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (310) 458-8211 or [email protected].
Members of the public unable to attend a meeting but wishing to comment on an item(s) listed on the agenda may submit written comments prior to the meeting by meeting by City of Santa Monica Generated: 5/11/2026 5:16 PM Page 6 mailing them to: City Clerk, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 or to [email protected]. Written comments received from the public by 12 PM on the day of the City Council meeting will be distributed to the City Council prior to the meeting and posted online. Members of the public who submit written public comment on an agenda item may be subject to the Levine Act which requires disclosure of campaign contributions of more than $500 to an officer of the City within the preceding 12 months.
City Hall and the Council Chambers are wheelchair accessible. If you require any special disability related accommodations to either attend or provide public testimony at a Council meeting (i.e. sign language interpreting, access to an amplified sound system, remote option, etc.), please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (310) 458-8211 or TDD: (310) 917- 6626 or via email at [email protected] at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. Best efforts shall be made to accommodate requests received after the 72-hour deadline. In the case of special meetings, requests should be submitted as early as possible, but no later than noon the day of the special Council meeting.
Si desea comunicarse con alguien en español, llame a nuestra oficina al (310) 458-8211 y pida hablar con Esterlina Lugo.
Santa Monica Blue Bus Lines #1, #2, #3, #5, #9 and the EXPO Line serve City Hall.
Parking is available on Main Street, on Olympic Drive, and in the Civic Center Parking Structure (validation free).
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: May 12, 2026
Agenda Item: 16.A
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Oliver Chi, City Manager, City Manager's Office
Subject: Request of Mayor Torosis, Councilmember Raskin and Councilmember Snell to hold a special meeting to receive a briefing on significant progress in the City of Santa Monica's (City) long-standing pursuit of a certified Local Coastal Program (LCP), to memorialize the work underway, and to provide Council direction on how to carry this progress forward
Prepared By: Sergio Ramirez, Chief of Staff
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Request for Special Meeting--Direction on Path to a Certified LCP (Torosis, Raskin, Snell) 05.12.26
16.A
Packet Pg. 7
REQUEST FOR SPECIAL MEETING
TO: Santa Monica City Council, City Manager, City Attorney and Relevant Staff FROM: Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis
Councilmember Ellis Raskin
Councilmember Barry Snell
DATE: May 12, 2026
SUBJECT: Special Meeting to Provide Council Direction on the City's Path to a Certified Local Coastal Program.
Request of Mayor Torosis, Councilmember Raskin and Councilmember Snellto hold a special meeting to receive a briefing on significant progress in the City of Santa Monica's (City) long-standing pursuit of a certified Local Coastal Program (LCP), to memorialize the work underway, and to provide Council direction on how to carry this progress forward.
I. Purpose
Mayor Torosis, along with Councilmembers Raskin and Snell are requesting a special meeting to receive a briefing on significant progress in the City of Santa Monica's (City) long-standing pursuit of a certified Local Coastal Program (LCP), to memorialize the work underway, and to provide Council direction on how to carry this progress forward.
Following sustained advocacy by the City Council, and direct engagement with California Coastal Commission (CCC) leadership, the City is now in substantive discussions about a framework that could finally bring Santa Monica's LCP certification within reach. This is the most meaningful progress the City has seen in years. The opportunity is real, it is timesensitive, and the Council must be positioned to act.
II. Santa Monica as a Coastal Steward
As public conversation about the City's coastal future has intensified, this special meeting is an opportunity to clarify and memorialize what Santa Monica has built, invested in, and 1 16.A.a
Packet Pg. 8
Attachment: Request for Special Meeting--Direction on Path to a Certified LCP (Torosis, Raskin, Snell) 05.12.26 (7728 : Local Coastal Program protected over many years. The record speaks for itself: Santa Monica is one of California's most committed stewards of its coast.
The City has made extraordinary investments in protecting and expanding coastal access for all people, not just those who live nearby or arrive by car:
• A free, world-class beach that draws millions of visitors each year, actively managed for public access, environmental health, and long-term resilience • More than 12,000 public parking spaces in the coastal zone, one of the highest concentrations of any coastal city in California
• The Big Blue Bus, a zero-emission transit system connecting coastal Santa Monica to communities across the region, supported by landmark zero-emission charging infrastructure
• An award-winning network of protected bike lanes and pedestrian infrastructure that makes the coast reachable without a car
• Berkeley Station, Santa Monica's first modular affordable housing development, opening near the beach and expanding who can afford to live in our coastal community
• A climate and sea level rise adaptation strategy that is among the most rigorous of any coastal city in the state
• Vision Zero street safety investments that make the path to the coast safer for everyone
This Council is committed to that record, and to ensuring that a certified LCP reflects what Santa Monica has actually built: an urban coastal city that has earned the trust to manage its own coastal zone in a manner fully consistent with the Coastal Act.
III. Over a Decade of Good-Faith Effort
The City has been working toward a certified LCP since 2014. After three years of community outreach and dozens of coordination meetings with CCC staff, the City adopted its Land Use Plan (LUP) in October 2018 and submitted a formal application to the Coastal Commission that December.
What followed was a years-long impasse, not because Santa Monica failed to engage, but because of fundamental policy disagreements about how the Coastal Act should apply to an urban, transit-rich, multimodal coastal city.
2 16.A.a
Packet Pg. 9
Attachment: Request for Special Meeting--Direction on Path to a Certified LCP (Torosis, Raskin, Snell) 05.12.26 (7728 : Local Coastal Program The City re-engaged CCC in May 2023 and has worked steadily since, retaining a consultant to address updated sea level rise and environmental justice requirements, meeting regularly with CCC staff, and targeting a revised LUP submittal in 2027. Through it all, Santa Monica has remained committed to certification, even as the path forward remained uncertain.
IV. A New Chapter: Council-Driven Progress
The landscape has shifted meaningfully in recent weeks, and this special meeting is the appropriate place to formally present that progress to the full Council and to the public.
Following a Council-facilitated introductory meeting with Coastal Commission leadership, City staff is now in direct engagement with CCC Executive Director Dr. Kate Huckelbridge and senior Commission staff. These discussions are focused on whether the City and Commission can reach a mutually agreed-upon framework for LCP certification, potentially within a defined and near-term timeline.
The principles guiding these discussions include a defined process and timeline for completing certification, use of the City's 2018 Council-adopted LUP as the baseline, recognition of Santa Monica's distinct urban coastal context and its record as a responsible steward of coastal resources, and the goal of creating a more predictable and streamlined process for routine, low-impact projects in the coastal zone.
This progress is the direct result of sustained Council engagement and advocacy at the highest levels of the Commission. A special meeting is the right vehicle to formalize that momentum, ensure the full Council is briefed and aligned, and provide staff with clear direction to carry these discussions forward.
V. Why a Special Meeting Is Needed Now
A. The Window Is Open and Time-Sensitive
The discussions now underway with CCC leadership represent an opportunity that has not existed in this form before. Staff is working to develop a complete framework for Council consideration before the end of May 2026. A special meeting will ensure the Council is briefed and positioned to act without delay.
B. Major City Priorities Depend on Certification
3 16.A.a
Packet Pg. 10
Attachment: Request for Special Meeting--Direction on Path to a Certified LCP (Torosis, Raskin, Snell) 05.12.26 (7728 : Local Coastal Program The absence of a certified LCP creates real and ongoing costs for Santa Monica.
Every project in the coastal zone, from economic recovery on the Third Street Promenade, to transportation improvements, to major public events on the beach, currently requires a Coastal Development Permit from the Commission rather than being locally approved under a certified program. Certification would give Santa Monica the authority and predictability to implement its own vision for the coast, consistent with the Coastal Act and tailored to the City's realities, and would further Santa Monica’s goals of economic recovery under the Realignment Plan.
C. The Community Deserves a Clear Public Record
A special meeting gives the Council the opportunity to speak directly to the community, lay out what the City has accomplished and where things stand, and demonstrate that Santa Monica's approach to its coast is grounded in decades of investment and a serious, collaborative relationship with the state. Memorializing this work in a public setting is both appropriate and important.
VI. Conclusion
Santa Monica has spent decades demonstrating its commitment to the coast and to a certified LCP that reflects its values and investments. The progress made in recent weeks is the result of sustained Council leadership and good-faith engagement with the state. A special meeting is the right next step to bring that work into the public record, align the full Council, and ensure the City carries this momentum forward with clarity and purpose. 4 16.A.a
Packet Pg. 11
Attachment: Request for Special Meeting--Direction on Path to a Certified LCP (Torosis, Raskin, Snell) 05.12.26 (7728 : Local Coastal Program