By Lookout Staff

December 27, 2023 -- In spring the City Council voted to settle additional sexual abuse lawsuits for $122.5 million and kept its focus trained on a rising homeless population, a theft-driven increase in crime and a housing boom that threatened to spiral out of control. It also gave the go-ahead to gender neutral restrooms and a surveillance program using AI-equipped cameras that -- like the electrification roadmap unveiled in winter -- were largely driven by staff. Spring also brought bad news, as the City faced a record pension deficit and the Pier was named California's most polluted beach.

APRIL

Councilmember Items Back on the Agenda
April 14, 2023 -- More than one and a half years after the City Council took steps to curb the flood of items Council members place on the agenda, the practice continues.

Council Unaware of AI Camera Programs
April 19, 2023 -- Two pilot programs using AI-equipped cameras are being launched by City staff without the approval of Councilmembers, some of whom have concerns but generally back the programs.

Prices Climb, Turnover Persists for Rent-Controlled Units, Report Finds
April 20, 2023 -- Move-in prices for Santa Monica's rent-controlled units -- which have seen a high turnover rate -- climbed to record levels last year as fewer tenants moved out, according to annual Rent Control data released last week.

Council Votes to Settle Remaining Sexual Abuse Cases for $122.5 Million
April 25, 2023 -- The City Council Tuesday evening voted 5 to 0 to pay $122.5 million to settle the remaining lawsuits filed by 131 plaintiffs who claim a former City employee sexually abused them when they were children and teens two to three decades ago.

Council Approves Gender-Neutral Public Restrooms
April 26, 2023 -- With a 6 to 0 vote by the City Council on Tuesday, Santa Monica became the second city in California, and likely the nation, to require gender-neutral public restrooms in new buildings.

Santa Monica Rents Rise for 2nd Straight Month
April 27, 2023 -- The median rent in Santa Monica increased 0.8 percent in April, marking the second straight monthly rise after dropping for half a year, according to Apartment List's latest monthly report released Thursday.

State Gives BBB Nearly $23 Million to Electrify Fleet
April 28, 2023 -- Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus (BBB) has received a $22.9 million State grant to purchase 5 battery electric buses (BEBs) and develop infrastructure to charge up to 104 buses, City officials announced Thursday.

300th COVID-Related Death Reported in Santa Monica
April 28, 2023 -- Data posted on LA County's Public Health Surveillance dashboard Thursday indicate that the 300th COVID-related death in Santa Monica was reported during the past two weeks.

MAY

Cash-Strapped City Faces Record Pension Deficit
May 1, 2023 -- The City of Santa Monica is facing an unfunded pension liability of nearly half a billion dollars as it struggles to recover from the coronavirus shutdown and pay a $122.5 million settlement approved by the City Council last week.

Santa Monica's Homeless Numbers Rise After COVID-Driven Drop
May 4, 2023 -- A total of 926 individuals were counted during this year's homeless census in Santa Monica, an increase over last year but fewer than were counted in 2019, according to results released by the City Thursday.

Council Approves Agreement That Removes 'Builder's Remedy' Projects
May 10, 2023 -- The City Council on Tuesday approved a settlement agreement that will avert a lengthy legal battle over an untested development policy and scale back nearly a dozen projects that could have been built largely outside the City's control.

Unanimous Council Vote Masks Deep Disagreements About Homelessness
May 12, 2023 -- In the end, it was unanimous. All the Councilmembers present agreed that the City should continue, and in some cases expand, the ambitious and costly programs and initiatives it began embarking on decades ago to tackle an entrenched homeless problem.

Drug Overdoses Drive Dramatic Hike in LA County Homeless Deaths
May 15, 2023 -- The death toll among LA County's homeless jumped from less than 1,300 in 2019 to more than 2,200 in 2021, largely fueled by a dramatic rise in drug overdoses, according to a Public Health report released Friday.

Advertising Averse Santa Monica Embraces Digital Kiosks
May 16, 2023 -- "The Future is Here," City officials announced this week, and Santa Monicans next month can get a first hand glimpse of what it will look like when kiosks spring up on commercial sidewalks across the city.

Santa Monica Travel Market Continues to Recover
May 19, 2023 -- Santa Monica's tourism industry is on a steady road to recovery, with both the number of visitors and the money they spent rising significantly last year, tourism officials announced at a summit Wednesday.

Council Beefs Up Security at Pier, Downtown Parks
May 24, 2023 -- The City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve two contracts totaling nearly $2 million to beef up security at the Pier and at three Downtown parks.

Theft Drives Crime Hike in Santa Monica
May 30, 2023 -- The number of serious crimes reported in Santa Monica rose by 14 percent during the first quarter of 2023, driven by a spike in larceny, according to SMPD crime data released last week.

Santa Monica Rents Drop During Peak Moving Season
May 31, 2023 -- Following a brief two-month rise, rents in Santa Monica dropped by -0.9 percent in May and have fallen -0.4 percent so far this year, according to Apartment List's latest monthly report released Wednesday.

JUNE

School Board Hires District Administrator as Superintendent
June 1, 2023 -- After an "arduous national search," the School Board on Thursday tapped one of its own, unanimously voting to promote District Executive Director Dr. Antonio M. Shelton to superintendent.

Council Takes Up Lawsuits Stemming from 2020 Riots
June 13, 2023 -- The City Council on Tuesday took up four lawsuits -- including a federal case filed by Black Lives Matter (BLM) -- claiming the City violated the rights of protestors during the May 31, 2020 riots in Santa Monica.

Council Jacks Up Solid Waste Rates After 3-Year Freeze
June 14, 2023 -- With one public speaker and no discussion, the City Council on Tuesday approved solid waste rate hikes that will result in steady increases over the next five years.

Santa Monica Pier Is California's Most Polluted Beach
June 15, 2023 -- The Santa Monica Pier is the most polluted beach in California, earning straight Fs that landed it on Heal the Bay's notorious Beach Bummer List for the second straight year.

Longtime Santa Monica Activist Who Helped Preserve Coastal Skyline Dead at 79
June 20, 2023 -- Julie Lopez Dad -- a slow-growth tenant activist known for her commitment, intelligence and kindness -- died Saturday at age 79 in her Ocean Park apartment. The cause of death has not been determined.

'Celebrate America' Returns After 3-Year Hiatus
June 20, 2023 -- Sidelined for three years by the COVID emergency, "Celebrate America" -- the city's only fireworks display marking the nation’s independence -- will return this year.

LA County's Homeless Population Continues Rising
June 29, 2023 -- Los Angeles County's homeless population rose 9 percent last year, reaching an estimated 75,518 people, nearly three-quarters of them living on the streets, according to results of the 2023 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count released Thursday.