City Manager selection process begins
May. 17, 2021 at 6:00 am
City Council finished its first round of interviews for Santa Monica’s next city manager this weekend, meaning the search for the city’s first permanent manager since Rick Cole resigned in April 2020 could soon be completed.
Council conducted interviews throughout Friday and Saturday, according to a public notice posted on the Council’s agenda. They were held in closed session so little information is available on who the leading candidates are since city leaders have remained mum on the matter in an effort to retain the search’s integrity.
Dilg, who took the reins as Interim City Manager in April 2020, announced her intention to leave the city back in December as her family relocates to pursue other public service ventures. A few months later, Santa Monica City Council unanimously directed staff to retain Lamont Ewell (who managed Santa Monica until 2009) of Ralph Andersen & Associates to search for a replace
City will cover 1930s Stanton McDonald Wright mural
May. 14, 2021 at 6:00 am
Mural: The mural will be the subject of community discussions. Courtesy image
Santa Monica will soon cover a pair of 1930s Stanton McDonald Wright murals located at the entrance of City Hall before beginning a community engagement process that will allow local residents an opportunity to share their opinions on the matter.
The artistic scrim cover will be installed prior to July 13th when the public is expected to return for Council meetings in City Hall but it’s not yet known when the city’s Arts Commission and Cultural Affairs department will initiate a community engagement process that will decide if the murals should be replaced with something else. And, if so, then what.
Public officials call for continued virtual comment options
May. 10, 2021 at 6:00 am
A small bright side to the pandemic has been an uptick in participation at public meetings due to emergency rules that have allowed public comments via phone or other digital submission and some officials are looking for ways to make the changes stick.
Planning Commission Chair Shawn Landres and Councilmember Kevin McKeown are but a few of the local voices who have expressed a desire to continue virtual comments and meetings, and they may soon get their wish.
Landres penned an article in April that detailed the need for continued opportunities for remote and in-person, real-time public comment in meetings. In the months since, state legislators have tried to preserve remote access to public meetings post-pandemic through the passing of Assembly Bill 339 or 361, but the Planning Commission Chair said he believes it’s important for locals to hear from city leaders on the matter as well.
Council appoints new public safety commissioners
May. 03, 2021 at 6:00 am
Santa Monica’s first civilian police oversight body was selected by City Council, who said this week they are eager to see how residents and local police officials adapt department policies to promote the best of community-oriented policing.
It’s been nearly an entire year since last summer’s protests pertaining to racial justice prompted City Council to form a 15-member Public Safety Reform Advisory Committee, which later made a number of recommendations on how Santa Monica can reform its law enforcement practices and better promote equity in the city. One of the initiatives recommended by the PSRAC was the Public Safety Reform & Oversight Commission, which Council unanimously agreed to create in January.