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: 7/29/2026 4:30 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: 7/29/2026 4:30 PM Page 3
AGENDAS
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS
1685 MAIN STREET, ROOM 250,
MONDAY, JULY 27, 2026
MEETING BEGINS AT 4:00 PM
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT BY TELEPHONE
Participants may join a meeting by phone via Zoom. Dial, the phone number to access Zoom’s audio system, and enter the Zoom Meeting ID to join the meeting.
Zoom Dial-In Information: Phone Number (669) 900-6833 (US), Meeting ID:978 8290 3006# Persons wishing to address the Council by telephone must register at santamonica.gov/public-comment no later than 5:00 p.m. the business 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
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
City of Santa Monica Generated: 7/29/2026 4:30 PM Page 4 (Please note that Agenda Items may be reordered during the Council meeting at the discretion of the City Council.)
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
City of Santa Monica Generated: 7/29/2026 4:30 PM Page 5 No items
8. CONTINUED ITEMS
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
11.A. Update on Resolutions Placing Proposed Ballot Measures Amending Articles XVIII, Rent Control Law, and XXIII, Housing Policies, of the City Charter on the November 3, 2026 Ballot Previously Adopted on July 14, 2026 and Possible Further Direction to Staff to Return with Revisions
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
No items
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].
City of Santa Monica Generated: 7/29/2026 4:30 PM Page 6 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 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: July 27, 2026
Agenda Item: 11.A
1 of 1
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Heidi Von Tongeln, City Attorney, City Attorney's Office Subject: Update on Resolutions Placing Proposed Ballot Measures Amending Articles XVIII, Rent Control Law, and XXIII, Housing Policies, of the City Charter on the November 3, 2026 Ballot Previously Adopted on July 14, 2026 and Possible Further Direction to Staff to Return with Revisions Prepared By: Heidi Von Tongeln, City Attorney
Approved Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Written Comments
B. PowerPoint Presentation
11.A
Packet Pg. 7
1 David Yakobson
From: Mathew Millen <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, July 26, 2026 8:34 PM
To: councilmtgitems
Cc: Mathew Millen
Subject: 7/27 item #11A
EXTERNAL
The ballot arguments are tuesday July.28.
It is not clear who scheduled this Council meeting. However the Staff Report fails to provide the proposed language revisions to the ballot measures. This is unacceptable. ,how can the public comment without the proposed revisions?
Is the Council going to rescind it's previous action? Approve new language with no public input and the city clerk will publish a new date for submission of ballot arguments? Mathew Millen
Sent from my Galaxy
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.a
Packet Pg. 8
Attachment: Written Comments (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Update on Resolutions Placing Proposed
Ballot Measures Amending
Article XVIII (Rent Control Law), and
Article XXIII (Housing Policies), of the City Charter,
on the November 3, 2026 Ballot, Which Were
Previously Adopted on July 14, 2026, with Possible
Further Direction to Staff to Return with Revisions
Santa Monica City Council
Santa Monica Rent Control Board
Joint Special Meeting
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 9
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Proposed Procedures For Special Joint Meeting
• The City Council and the Rent Control Board are separate, independent, and co-equal bodies meeting jointly this afternoon
• For the purposes of this joint meeting, identification of a chairperson to coordinate the meeting logistics is recommended
• Further, after hearing the presentation from the City and Rent Control Board staff, the following procedures are suggested
• First, the Rent Control Board would deliberate, and then vote on whether or not to make a proposed recommendation to the City Council on the agendized matter • Then, the City Council would take up the issue, with input having been received from the Rent Control Board, to make a final determination as to whether or not any action should be taken regarding the agendized matter
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 10
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Process for Amending the City Charter
• Any change amending the City Charter requires a Charter Amendment • All Charter Amendments must be submitted to the voters for consideration • Charter Amendments can be placed on the ballot by either the voters or the City Council • Opportunities for Charter Amendments exist every two years when general elections are held • The overall process is also subject to LA County timelines for elections • For the 2026 election cycle, the deadline to place an item on the ballot for voter consideration is August 7, 2026 • If a proposed Charter Amendment relates to Santa Monica’s Rent Control Law (Article XVIII), our established practices involves the following procedural steps • The Rent Control Board makes a Charter Amendment recommendation to City Council • Subsequently, the City Council makes the determination of putting that measure on the ballot • In addition, to ensure consistent housing / tenant regulations, the City also places (when relevant) a mirrored regulation onto the ballot to institute the same proposed Charter Amendments in the City’s Housing Policies (Article XXIII) section of the Charter Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 11
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Background / Timeline
• January 27, 2026
• City Council directed staff to develop additional tenant protection and tenant stability options, including tools used in similarly situated California jurisdictions • April – June 2026
• The Rent Control Board considered the proposals, held public hearings on May 14 and June 25, and voted on June 11 and June 25 to recommend placing the amendments on the November 2026 ballot
• July 14, 2026
• The City Council adopted resolutions placing three measures on the ballot, including Section 1806 (c) / 2304 (c) changes (Resolution 3)
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 12
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Resolutions Adopted on July 14
• Resolution 1:
• Affirming of local just cause eviction regulations
• Rent Control Board administrative amendments
• Preserving affordable housing
• Resolution 2:
• Rent threshold eviction regulation
• Resolution 3:
• Limiting evictions based on the addition of new occupants • Limiting evictions of remaining household members after tenant vacates • Extending just cause eviction protections to single unit dwellings and updating owner move-in eviction regulations
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 13
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Concerns Raised with Certain Provisions of Resolution 3 • Subsequent to voting to place all three measures on ballot, concerns were brought to the City’s attention regarding the proposed Resolution 3 amendments to Charter Sections 1806(c) / 2304(c)
• The measure would circumvent Costa Hawkins
• The City’s proposed measure would circumvent the landlords ability to reset the rent as dictated under Costa Hawkins
• The measure creates a circumstance where it does not allow a property owner to recover their possession
• Under the proposed measure, there exists the possibility that a property owner would be prohibited from taking back possession of their property from a tenant, perpetually
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 14
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Proposed Amendments to 1806(c) and 2304(c)
(Part of Resolution 3)
• If approved by the voters, the proposed amendments to 1806(c) and 2304(c) would:
1. Remove the death-or-incapacity trigger entirely, and instead institutes protections when the tenant of the owner vacates for any reason
• Current regulation only covers spouses, domestic partners, and children, and only applies when the tenant of the owner vacates due to death or incapacitation
2. Broaden the protected class from close family to any lawful occupant of one year or more (“covered occupant”)
• Current regulations only includes a spouse and / or children as being part of the protected class
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 15
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Potential Practical Result of
Amendments to 1806(c) / 2304(c)
• The practical result of the amendment is that whenever the tenant of the owner (Tenant 1) vacates, for any reason (including a purely voluntary move), any qualifying occupant (Tenant 2) may remain, and the landlord cannot recover the unit on that basis
• The landlord may then be “forced” to enter into a new landlord-tenant relationship with Tenant 2 • If a new landlord-tenant relationship has been formed with Tenant 2, Tenant 2 would have the right to bring in additional occupants.
• Tenant 2 could then pass on the unit to those additional occupants if Tenant 2 chooses to vacate a year later.
• This cycle could repeat indefinitely with subsequent occupants • Further, because State vacancy decontrol can turn on whether remaining occupants are “sublessees or assignees,” an occupant who 1) paid no rent to the original tenant (i.e., someone who was not a sublessee); and 2) who took no assignment from the original tenant; may fall outside the categories that permit a rent reset
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 16
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Proposed Amendments
Have Not Been Tested in Court
• Based on research, staff has been unable to locate a jurisdiction that has removed the death / incapacity trigger for remaining occupants • We are not aware of any California city that bars eviction of remaining household members after a tenant’s purely voluntary departure, as the proposed amendment would do
• Based on staff research, we are also unable to locate a jurisdiction that has such a broad class of persons eligible for protection after the original tenant vacates the unit
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 17
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Other Provisions of Contained in Resolution 3
• Other component sections contained in Resolution 3 include:
• Additional-occupant protections in Articles XVIII and XIII (for minor children, for specified family members, and for a non-family member who intends to form a household with the tenant) • Of note: these protections likely already exist given existing Fair Housing laws • Single-unit just cause protections in Article XXIII (single family house / condo tenants)
• Owner Move-In Protections in Article XXIII (for consistency with Article XVIII)
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 18
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Available Options
1. Proceed with Resolution 3, including proposed amendments to 1806(c) and 2304(c) as currently drafted
2. Modify / narrow the proposed amendments to 1806(c) and 2304(c)
3. Consider advancing certain other provisions contained in Resolution 3
4. Defer advancing Resolution 3 for more study and community input Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 19
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law) Proposed Resolution 1 – Administrative Items
Preserving
Affordable
Housing
Rent Control
Board Petition
Decision
Timeline
Rent Control
Maximum Unit
Registration Fee
Amendment
Rent Control
Board Term
Limits
Affirmation of
Local Just
Cause Eviction
Law
Article XVIII (Rent Control) X X X X X
Article XXIII (Housing Policies) X X
Proposed Resolution 2 -
Non-Payment Eviction Threshold
Non-Payment Eviction Threshold
Article XVIII (Rent Control) X
Article XXIII (Housing Policies) X
Proposed Resolution 3 – Additional Tenant Protections
Updating OwnerMove In RegulationsExtending Just Cause
Protections to Single
Unit Dwellings
Limiting Evictions of
Remaining
Household Members
Limiting Evictions
Based on New
Occupants
Article XVIII (Rent Control) X X
Article XXIII (Housing Policies) X X X X
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
Item 11-A
July 27, 2026
11.A.b
Packet Pg. 20
Attachment: PowerPoint Presentation (7841 : Ballot Measures Amending Rent Control Law)