1 July 27, 2026
(NOT APPROVED)
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JULY 27, 2026
A special joint meeting of the Santa Monica City Council and Rent Control Board was called to order by Mayor Torosis at 4:02 p.m., on Tuesday, July 27, 2026, at City Council Chambers, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA.
Roll Call: Present: Mayor Caroline Torosis
Councilmember Lana Negrete (Arrived 4:07 p.m.)
Councilmember Dan Hall
Councilmember Ellis Raskin
Councilmember Barry Snell
Councilmember Natalya Zernitskaya
Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Zwick
Rent Control Board Chair Daniel Ivanov (Joined remotely) Rent Control Board Vice-Chair Kay Ambriz
Rent Control Board Commissioner Ericka Lesley
Rent Control Board Commissioner Kurt Gonska
Rent Control Board Commissioner Phillis Dudick
Also Present: City Manager Oliver Chi
City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln
Assistant City Clerk Maria Dacanay-Wisner
Rent Control Administrator Jonathan Holub
Rent Control General Counsel Kevin Mitchell
CONVENE/PLEDGE On order of the Mayor, the City Council convened to a joint meeting with the Rent Control Board at 4:02 p.m., with Mayor Pro Tem Zwick absent.
Councilmember Snell led the assemblage in the Pledge of Allegiance.
STATEMENT OF
ACCOUNTABILITY
(LAND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT)
The City of Santa Monica Statement of Accountability (Land Acknowledgement) was read into the record by Councilmember Raskin.
BROWN ACT AND
LEVINE ACT
DISCLOSURES
Rent Control Board Chair Ivanov disclosed that he is joining remotely under the Brown Act’s Just Cause provision due to a family emergency; is participating with audio and video; and there are several adults present in the airport terminal he is joining from but they are unrelated public 2 July 27, 2026
members. Due to Chair Ivanov joining remotely, Mayor Torosis facilitated the meeting for the Commissioners in the Chambers.
No Councilmembers or Rent Control Board Commissioners made disclosures regarding the Levine Act (Govt Code Section 84308).
PUBLIC INPUT ON
REMAINING AGENDA
ITEMS:
Members of the public Mathew L. Millen and Michael Millman commented on item 11.A.
STAFF
ADMINISTRATIVE
ITEMS:
CHARTER AMENDMENT
BALLOT MEASURE
UPDATE
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, was presented by City and Rent Control staff.
Clarifying questions asked by the Rent Control Board and answered of staff included but was not limited to: how the City compares to other jurisdictions if the Board restores the hardship nexus, death and incapacity triggers, and narrow the definition of “covered occupants”; if other jurisdictions with similar or narrower provisions such as West Hollywood, San Francisco, Pasadena, East Palo Alto, and Oakland have been challenged; if the concerns with circumventing Costa Hawkins and property owners being unable to recover possessions were raised recently; what degree do the four available options address legal concerns: if the protections in place for limited classifications would be in jeopardy if they were pulled out to new classifications; if legal precedent exists that could support the City by modifying and narrowing the proposed amendments; alternative provisions such as adding a tenant to the lease within 30 days of the original lessee vacating a unit; protections for remaining the spouses and children; and how many people will be covered by this measure.
Questions asked by the City Council and answered of staff included but was not limited to: the likelihood of litigation if the City moves forward with the measure as is; if the issue is separate from small rent debt; and if spouses and children are protected when the original lessee vacates for reasons other than incapacitation or death.
Considerable discussion by the Rent Control Board ensued on topics including, but not limited to: protecting expanded family members; moving forward with the measure and Option 2 to modify and narrow the proposals on death and incapacitation; Option 4 to not move forward with the measure to further explore the issue and other opinions and submit a measure for a later election; and taking alternative and conservative approaches by using existing housing protections laws.
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Motion by Vice-Chair Ambriz, seconded by Chair Ivanov to keep the ballot measure and add back the death or incapacitation language in Section 1806 on Eviction.
Substitute motion by Commissioner Gonska, seconded by Commissioner Lesley, to seek Council’s comments before the Rent Control Board votes on a motion. The substitute motion was approved by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Commissioner Gonska, Lesley, Vice-Chair Ambriz
NOES: Commissioner Dudick, Chair Ivanov
ABSENT: None
Council requested a redline version of Section 1806. The City Council commented on topics including, but not limited to: unintended consequences in preventing tenants from being unhoused or impacting small property owners with making less units available to the housing market and businesses being created with subleases; Option 4 to defer advancing the measure for more study and community input; the lack of a staff report and making redline changes at the dais; Option 3 with a new resolution proposing only to extend just cause protections to single unit dwellings and updating ownermove in regulations, and deferring limiting evictions based on new occupants and remaining household members for further study and to the next election; aligning rent control with non-rent control laws and re-structure proposals to protect tenants and the City; and the process to develop the amendments with broad community input and support and its potential to solve current tenant issues.
New motion by Commissioner Gonska, seconded by Chair Ivanov, to pull back from the Rent Control Board’s recommendation the limiting evictions based on new occupants and remaining household members. The motion was approved by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Commissioners Dudick, Gonska, Lesley, Vice-Chair Ambriz, Chair Ivanov
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
Motion by Councilmember Hall, seconded by Mayor Torosis, to provide direction to rescind Resolution 11785 (CCS) and return with a new resolution containing only the items to extend just cause protections to single unit dwellings and updating owner move in regulations to bring Article XXIII in line with Article XVIII. The motion was approved by the following roll call vote:
AYES: Councilmembers Negrete, Hall, Snell, Zernitskaya, Mayor Torosis
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NOES: Councilmember Raskin
ABSENT: Mayor Pro Tem Zwick
Councilmember Raskin stated that he voted “no” because: the matter was vetted with a great deal of community input and work; community members need further protection; and he is concerned about what will occur in the next two years.
ADJOURNMENT On order of the Mayor, the special joint meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m., with Mayor Pro Tem Zwick absent.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
Maria Dacanay-Wisner Caroline Torosis
Assistant City Clerk Mayor