Spring Happy Hour Recap: Thanks to the approx 30 people who joined our Spring happy hour and thanks to Jameson’s for hosting us! We’re working on our next one already.
OPA Monthly Meeting Returning to the Library! Mark your calendar for May 13 when guest speakers will include Matthew Wells (City of Santa Monica, Public Landscape Manager), Alexander Hall (Waymo), and Megan Gamble (Hospitality Santa Monica, a CRA coalition).
Hotel Union Reaches Agreement with Final SaMo Hotels: Highlights include $5 an hour raise in the first year, 40 to 50% wage increases for non tipped workers over the 4.5 year term of the agreement (meaning most room attendants will earn $35 an hour by July 1, 2027), guaranteed pre-pandemic staffing levels and mandatory daily room cleaning, and one of the highest paid pension plans for service workers in nation. More details here.
The Shore Hotel in Santa Monica Named Top Hotel in America in TripAdvisor’s 2024 Best of the Best Traveler’s Choice Awards: The Shore was the only California hotel to make the top 10 on the popular travel website’s list, which recognizes “the highest level of excellence in travel.” “Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone,” TripAdvisor notes. The 164-room “pet-friendly” hotel near the Promenade & Santa Monica Pier offers “a stylish atmosphere & attention to detail.” More details here.
Grunions Make Annual Mating Ritual Run at Venice Beach: This SaMoMirror video report shows how the silvery fish leave the ocean and spawn on the beach.
Gearing up: May is Bike Month: This SM Spoke post details its history and some of the events this month.
City Hosting Rent Control Seminars for Renters and Landlords:
- Wednesday 5:30 pm Tenant Seminar: Provides an overview of the services available through the Rent Control office, how rent and amenities are defined; the protections against eviction, and the remedies available for excess rent, lack of maintenance, and loss of amenities. More details here.
- Thursday 10:30 am Property Owner and Manager Seminar: This covers basics of the rent control law and your rights and responsibilities. We will explain how to use the CIVICS portal for online filing of registration forms, petitions, and exemption applications and demonstrate filing a tenancy registration form. We’ll also show how to pay annual reg-istration fees easily and securely with CIVICS. More details here.
Things To Do This Week:
- Grad Nite Fundraising Concert (Tuesday 7 – 10:30 pm): Come to The Venice West for live music by The Dial Ups, playing hits from the 60’s, 70’s and LOTS of 80’s! Ticket sales go to support SaMoHi Grad Nite.
- Ways of Water (Wednesday 6pm): Learn how local, indigenous approaches to water stewardship can help make contemporary practices more sustainable at a discussion with Bob Ramirez, President of the Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation, and Sunny Wang, Water Resources Division of the City of Santa Monica, moderated by Debra Scacco, Artist in Residence with the City of Santa Monica. @ Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. More details here.
OPA & City Meetings:
- Architectural Review Board Meeting (Monday 7 pm): More details here.
- OPA Connects Meeting (Wednesday 12pm): Here is the Zoom link.
- Planning Commission Meeting (Wednesday 6pm): More details & agenda here.
- Airport Commission Meeting (Wednesday 7pm): More details & agenda here.
- Housing Commission Meeting (Thursday 6pm): Click Here for agenda.
