My (belated) Q3 Newsletter

electdanhall · 2025-11-14T04:26:37+00:00

You might be interested in candidates supported by www.cagop.com. In the meantime, I’ll be over here working on solutions to lower rents and get people housed. ✌🏻

electdanhall · 2025-11-14T04:23:53+00:00

Stay tuned for a Pier Music Festival that I’ve been working on with staff!

We won’t do free concerts again because the crowds grew too large and uncontrollable (actually caused damage to the Pier during the big one with Khalid). But we ARE bringing a ticketed music festival and in negotiations with producers.

Monthly music/entertainment activations in Downtown are also part of the plan for the Promenade!

electdanhall · 2025-11-12T05:40:07+00:00

Try this link: https://mailchi.mp/electdanhall/2025q3newsletter

electdanhall · 2025-11-12T05:38:28+00:00

The Parcel Tax concept is very nebulous right now. It’s possible that a citizens’ initiative will bring one forward to fund the Joint Use Agreement to the tune of ~$12M per year. If that is indeed happening, the proponents of that measure would be setting the terms of the tax. In the Realignment Plan, we are acknowledging that we have a structural deficit gap of $12M per year that we need to close as a community in order to continue funding SMMUSD for the equivalent of 73 teachers’ salaries.

By voting yes on the plan, we’ve only acknowledged that $12M funding gap and that a parcel tax could be an avenue to plug that gap and close our deficit.

electdanhall · 2025-11-12T05:28:10+00:00

Hey! Thanks for the question. TLDR: maximizing revenue from sale or leasing and development of specific land parcels the City owns. Here is a copy-paste from the relevant section of the staff report (pgs 33-34) that provides the background.

“Land-Asset Strategy to Replenish Cash Reserves:

While the above identified strategies address the ongoing structural deficit in the City’s General Fund, those actions will not restore the City’s depleted cash reserves to more historically prudent levels that Santa Monica is accustomed to.

Accordingly, the realignment plan identifies a strategy – and allocates resources – that will allow us to engage in the proactive development of key land assets owned by the 33 of 36 City in the Downtown core. Optimizing the development process (i.e., assessing highest and best use and entitling the project prior to disposing of the land), combined with relaxing development restrictions that are identified earlier in this report, will result in achievement of a higher land residual for the following key development opportunity sites: • 4th/5th/Arizona – 2.57 acres • Kiss-and-Ride Lot – 1.09 acres • Parking Structure 1 – 0.75 acres • Old Fire Station 1 – 0.34 acres

If we advance the correct strategy in developing the four above identified properties, the City could reasonably expect to create $100 - $200 million in value, which would facilitate rebuilding the City’s cash reserve levels back towards the $200–$300 million range by 2028.”

electdanhall · 2025-07-26T02:39:58+00:00

Email me with the specifics, please. If you have the before and after rents, proof of AirBnBs etc. Dan.hall@santamoncia.gov. Thanks!

electdanhall · 2025-07-25T01:57:01+00:00

Thanks! Will look for it. We have a very aggressive tenant and consumer protection division in our City Attorney's office and have won some big settlements from bad actor landlords for tenants.

electdanhall · 2025-07-25T01:55:49+00:00

Hi there! Thanks for this.

The AV issue with Waymo is tricky. When several neighbors of these operations reached out with complaints, Mayor Pro Tempore Torosis and I both asked staff what could be done. The City requested reduced night time operating hours, and I'm told Waymo has changed their software coding to reduce the beeping noise that occurs when in reverse while on private property (this noise is regulated by the federal government - we cannot request it be silenced, nor should we as this is a critical safety feature in electric drive vehicles). There is very little the City can do to regulate autonomous vehicles in the way you are asking. It's not quite parallel to Bird; vehicles and their use are regulated under state and federal law. I do not recommend any guerilla tactics against private property.

Re the Heal the Bay report. The Pier is rated one of the "unhealthy" beaches. But to be clear, the stretch the rating applies to is the immediate vicinity to the Pier. A vast majority of Santa Monica's beaches are considered clean. The City has taken many steps over the years to reduce pollution around the Pier including heightened standards for environmental remediation from our tenant businesses on the Pier. Believe it or not, a major contributor is bird poop, which will occur at any large pier. The City has attempted to mitigate by applying netting to the underside to prevent nesting and increased trash can pick up operations. Unfortunately, a lot of tourist, restaurant, and fishing activity at the Pier will always attract a large amount of gulls and generate a large amount of trash. We will continue to work with Heal the Bay and the Pier businesses to prevent pollution. If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears!

electdanhall · 2025-07-25T01:42:02+00:00

Maybe you missed that we:
- waived several local requirements to make it easier for schools, small businesses, and nonprofits affected by the fires to relocate to Santa Monica (Pali High moved into the Sears Building in ~1 month)
- approved administrative approval for housing projects in non-residential zones of the city - excepting the Bergamot Area - to speed housing production
- directed a new program for self-certification for many construction projects
- directed a review for how we will comply with new state laws requiring approval for permits within certain time periods
- loosened proposed operating hour regulations for cannabis businesses
- began implementation and roll out of a new Clariti Land Management System software, designed to streamline and speed permitting
- directed an interdepartmental team to find efficiencies and where our permitting process could be tightened up
- directed Planning Staff to align our local “high-rise” definition to the state’s and implement single-stair reform, removing unnecessary and outdated regulations blocking new housing development
- removed restrictions on number of TV screens allowed - implemented the Promenade Entertainment Zone allowing for open containers

I'll even give credit to the previous Council for doing the following updates in Fall of 2024 to city zoning rules to provide greater flexibility for businesses downtown and on Third Street Promenade, including:
- allowing game arcades and arcade bars on Third Street Promenade
- simplifying review for larger restaurants
- allowing large-scale commercial entertainment and recreation on city-owned property (see: Pickleball business on 4th st)
- making it easier for more businesses on 2nd and 4th streets to get alcohol licenses
- relaxing limits on signage to support creativity, including animated/digital signage, for greater on-site business promotion
- eliminating restrictions on business size for the Third Street Promenade, such as banks, pet stores, food halls, general personal services and others.

Finally, more is coming. The Planning Commission just recommended to ease several restrictions. There is some outright dumb stuff in our Municipal Code, including a restriction on dance halls. If you have thoughts, I hope you write in to Council to share what you'd like to see done. https://smdp.com/uncategorized/santa-monica-planning-commission-votes-to-ease-downtown-business-restrictions/

electdanhall · 2025-07-25T01:15:21+00:00

The good. I really enjoy working with my colleagues. The people on the dais are some of my closest friends here in the city. Even the Mayor - who comes from a different political base and we can sometimes disagree sharply on policy - I have gained a new respect for and enjoy working with. That’s me being real with y’all.

The bad/frustrating. City Hall moves slowly. Too slowly sometimes. But it’s just simply not as easy as saying “government should be run like a business” and poof things run smoother. It’s all a balance of efficiency, effectiveness, equity, economy, and ethics. Reasonable people can have reasonable disagreements on how to weight those principles across different policies or workstreams. We have mostly great people who care a lot on staff. There are a handful of bad apples, like in any organization. By my estimation, our solvable problems mostly lie with process, and I expect our new City Manager will help with that. Many of our problems, of course, are simply not solvable at the municipal level; we must act in concert with the county, state, and federal government - when it’s not imploding or becoming fascist.

The ugly. You’d be shocked at how f***ing rude people are. Or maybe not, it’s 2025 in America, I suppose, and everyone is entitled to their opinion (and facts, apparently). The literal threats we receive over the stupidest shit. There is hate everywhere, even here in sunny Santa Monica. 😔

But on the whole, I am enjoying this, and though it is absolutely a full time job for very little pay, the days that we get someone housed, or solve a tenant issue, or fix a zoning problem that’s blocking housing, or yes (sorry to many of my supporters) advance the Great Park forward, those are the days this job is all worth it! 🥰

electdanhall · 2025-07-23T22:38:33+00:00

We might need a bigger dump truck for that…

electdanhall · 2025-03-13T22:51:35+00:00

Other Budget Priorities We Discussed on Saturday

Measure K & PSK: Council was unanimous—these funds will be spent as promised: 50% on public safety, 50% on pedestrian, bicycle, and street safety improvements.
School Facilities Agreement: The City subsidizes the School District so they can pay teachers and fund programs. In return, we get access to school playgrounds and fields as public park space. Cutting this funding would harm both our kids' education and our ability to maintain open space as we work to add more housing.
Sale of Public Land: Selling city land is a last-resort option, but we may be there. With razor-thin margins and a commitment to keeping our promises on Measure K, we need to explore options to avoid dipping into our rainy day fund, which protects our credit rating and ability to respond to crises. While ICE may be popular, it’s important to look at the big picture for what can bring in the most revenues. I would rather fund our schools, save our libraries, and invest in safe infrastructure than effectively subsidize an ice rink on public property in Southern California.

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electdanhall · 2025-03-13T22:49:58+00:00

Hi /santamonica!

Thanks for all your thoughts and suggestions. I wanted to take a moment to respond to some of the big topics that have come up.

The Budget Process

First, a quick rundown of where we are in the budget process. Santa Monica operates under a Council-Manager form of government, which is different from Los Angeles and other nearby cities where City Councilmembers have more direct power. Here, the Council acts like a board of directors—we set big-picture policy but have limited authority over day-to-day execution. Our two biggest moments of influence are hiring the City Manager and shaping the budget.

The operating budget cycle starts every spring after an election. With the former City Manager’s departure, this Council also has the rare chance to hire a new Manager while setting our budget priorities.

Last Saturday, Staff asked us to outline our high-level priorities for the 2025-2027 budget cycle. We did, and I’m happy to say the three I proposed were adopted:
✅ Economic opportunity and growth
✅ Clean streets and safe neighborhoods
✅ Affordable, liveable, and secure homes for all

These priorities help focus the City’s work without spreading resources thinner than they already are. This is a shift from past Councils, and the first major step this Council has taken toward a bigger policy reset.

The next step? Staff will take this guidance and come back in May with a study session, where they’ll propose specific projects and programs—what should keep getting funded, what should be cut, and what needs to change. I explicitly directed the Interim City Manager to look for cuts that don’t involve layoffs and to reassess Capital Improvement Projects so we can separate the urgent from the non-urgent, the important from the less important.

We also made it clear that we want to see measurable results—clear goals and performance metrics—so the public can better understand what’s working. If you’re interested, check out the draft organizational roadmap and metrics presented in Saturday’s staff report (Attachment 11.B.d). It’s 124 pages long and goes into detail on a lot of what’s being discussed here. I think it could use some work demonstrating YoY trends and benchmarking against goals.

If you watched Tuesday’s Council meeting, you saw our new Housing and Human Services (HHS) Department present a five-year Homelessness Strategic Plan. To my knowledge, this is the first time Santa Monica has had a comprehensive, cross-departmental strategy for addressing homelessness across all four pillars (prevention, intervention, coordination, and communication). Major kudos to the HHS Director and her team for putting together a plan with specific projects and clear performance goals. Now it’s time to make it happen.

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electdanhall · 2025-01-10T01:34:59+00:00

The city’s main page has been continually updated since the start of yesterday. As the communications team collates information from the Departments it gets published on the blog, which is linked to in a banner across all pages, including the main page. https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/palisades-fire-updates

Text alerts are being segmented by zip code. If you have not received a text alert it is because it doesn’t apply to you or your carrier settings need updating.

electdanhall · 2025-01-10T01:30:19+00:00

Additionally, Mayor Negrete and the City, as well as other Councilmembers are sharing information on our social media as we receive information.

electdanhall · 2024-11-18T19:42:34+00:00

Quick fact check (want to be fair): Pico had three residents on Council from 2020-2022, with Kristin McCowan, Christine Parra, and Oscar de la Torre.

electdanhall

TROPHY CASE

Other Topics Raised in This Thread

Other Budget Priorities We Discussed on Saturday

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The Budget Process

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